A Little Boy and His Doctor
by iwannagibbs
Summary: JIBBS Gibbs is a single dad whose son needs a doctor. A story of how the boy helps his dad find love. Maybe.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Whenever I write a Jibbs story I always have in mind the Jenny that we started out with, not the one she became at the end. I didn't much care for that one. Anyway this is AU so we don't have to worry about all that. Hope you like.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

It was one of those sparkling spring days in Washington DC that meant you just had to be outside. The sky was a perfect blue with not a cloud in sight, there was no wind and the temperature was in the high 70's. Jethro Gibbs and his son, Michael had been up early this Sunday and were enjoying the impeccable weather. Gibbs spent the morning working in the yard, cleaning out flower beds in preparation for planting some new flowers while Michael alternately played and "helped" his dad. It was nearing lunch time and Michael had taken off up the sidewalk on his bike while Gibbs was tinkering with a balky lawnmower in the driveway.

Gibbs heard Michael calling him, "Watch me daddy!" He looked up to see Michael racing down the sidewalk full speed ahead. In the time it took to register how well his young son was riding already, he also noted the neighbor's car backing out of their driveway. He shouted at Michael but there was no time for his warning to be heeded. No time for Michael to stop and no time for the neighbor to realize Gibbs was yelling at her to stop as well.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion for Gibbs then. He stood up from the mower and started toward the disaster but it seemed as though his feet were in quicksand. He was moving down the sidewalk toward the neighbor's driveway as Michael rode behind the moving vehicle and was sent flying into the street by the force of the collision between a small boy and mid-sized SUV. As soon as the car hit Michael, the driver, a young lady who also happened to be Michael's babysitter, slammed on her brakes and put the car into park. Unfortunately, the damage was done.

Gibbs ran to Michael who was now sprawled in the street tangled in his bicycle. He yelled to Annie, the driver/babysitter, to call 911. Gibbs pulled the bicycle off of Michael and knelt beside his only child who was not moving.

"Michael, Michael, open your eyes buddy. Look at me." He was afraid to move the child for fear of hurting him more. He could not see any obvious broken bones; just some scrapes and bumps. Luckily, Michael had on a helmet. By now other neighbors had gathered and were offering comfort to both Gibbs and the young driver.

Annie knelt next to Gibbs crying. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see him. I'm sorry Jethro."

Gibbs put his arm around her and said, "It's not your fault, Annie. It was just an accident. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

A siren sounded in the distance and Gibbs turned his attention back to his son who was now beginning to rouse. Maggie, Michael's Golden Retriever who had been asleep in front yard, came over to see what all the commotion was about. She sniffed at Michael and licked his face then she sat down beside him to stand guard.

"Daddy, it hurts."

"Where does it hurt Michael?"

"All over."

"Well you and Annie had a crash so that's why it hurts. But someone is coming and we'll fix it. I want you to be real still until the paramedics come okay?"

Michael had big tears in his blue eyes and he reached for his daddy. Gibbs bent down to kiss his son and wipe away his tears.

"I'm scared daddy. My tummy hurts."

"I know buddy but you're going to be okay. We're going to ride in an ambulance to the hospital and get you all fixed up. I'll be right with you all the time. You don't have to be scared."

Gibbs' neighbor, John Carter, told him, "I'll get the mower and other stuff put away. You go on and call us if you need a ride home. Don't worry about anything."

"Thanks John, I appreciate it. Make sure Annie's okay will ya? I think her parents are working this weekend."

The ambulance arrived and paramedics evaluated Michael and agreed with Gibbs that he should be checked out at the hospital especially since he had been knocked out for a short time and was complaining of pain in several places. They carefully loaded the little boy on a backboard and carried him to the ambulance. Gibbs climbed in and sat beside his son holding his hand and talking to him all the way to the hospital. Michael closed his eyes and seemed to be drifting off but the paramedic gently shook him and told him to open his eyes.

Looking at Gibbs, the paramedic said, "Let's keep him awake in case he has a concussion."

Gibbs nodded and spoke to Michael asking him questions and prompting him to stay awake and alert. "Tell me where it hurts, Mike."

"My leg hurts and my tummy and my back. And my head."

"Okay. When we get to the hospital I bet they can make you feel better. I'll see if Dr. Frank is there okay?"

"Okay. Will you stay with me, daddy?"

"Of course, I won't leave you, don't worry."

In just a few minutes they arrived at the hospital emergency entrance and Michael was wheeled into an exam area. Soon a young doctor came in and approached Michael's bed. Leaning down to Michael's level she spoke to him in a soft, friendly voice.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Brewer. I understand you had a wreck on your bike. Is the bike okay?"

Gibbs smiled at her and Michael said, "I don't know." He looked from the doctor to his dad and asked, "Is it?"

His dad shook his head and replied, "I didn't pay any attention to the bike. You were due a new one pretty soon anyway."

Dr. Brewer took a stethoscope out of her pocket and began explaining to Michael what she was doing. "I'm going to check you out a little bit Michael and then I think we'll get some x-rays just to be sure nothing is broken. I understand he was knocked out for a short time."

Gibbs nodded and said, "Maybe a couple of minutes at the most. He says his stomach and leg hurt."

"I imagine it does. He has some pretty good road rash on his hip here and on his thigh." Dr. Brewer gently rolled Michael on his side and pulled up his shirt to look at his back. "He has some scrapes on his back as well. The x-rays are mainly a precaution but I assume you want to make sure."

"Absolutely."

"Daddy, will it hurt?"

"No, it won't hurt a bit and I'll be right there with you."

Gibbs asked Dr. Brewer, "Do you know if Dr. Ryan is here today?"

"I think I did see him earlier. He was called in to deal with an emergency about two hours ago. I'll see if he's still here."

"Thank you."

"I'm scared daddy."

Jethro sat on the bed and gently took Michael onto his lap holding him close. He kissed the top of his son's head and Michael wrapped his arms around his daddy. Jethro began talking softly to Michael, reassuring him and explaining the various things in the room just to have something to distract the child. After a while he felt Michael relax against his chest. The Gibbs men were still sitting like that when Dr. Frank Ryan walked in ten minutes later.

He saw that Michael was asleep so he quietly picked up the chart and read what Dr. Brewer and the nurses had already written. Jethro put out his hand and Dr. Ryan grasped it and stroked Michael's head with his other hand.

"He seems to be okay from what I see here, Jethro."

"Yeah. We're getting x-rays just in case. You agree?"

"Of course. It's a good idea to make sure there isn't some hairline fracture lurking in there somewhere. How you holding up?"

"I'm okay. You can't imagine how it felt to watch my son being hit by a car and not be able to do anything about it. Thanks for coming by."

"I'm just glad I'm not having to put little Gibbs back together like I do his father every now and then."

"Me too. I guess Dr. Brewer knows what she's doing?"

"She does."

Just then Dr. Brewer and a tech walked in the room. "They're ready for you in radiology, Agent Gibbs. Jason here will take Michael down in a wheelchair and of course you can go with him.

"I'll check back before I leave, Jethro."

"Thanks Frank." Gibbs put Michael down in the wheelchair which caused him to wake up.

"Hi, Dr. Frank."

"Hi Michael. I hear you ran into a car. Is that right?"

"No, a car ran into me."

"Oh, well, good thing you had your helmet on. You're going to get some pictures taken of your bones and I'll see you later. Okay?"

"Okay."

On the way to radiology Michael held tightly to his father's hand. By the time all the x-rays had been taken he was talking nonstop to the technician telling her all about his wreck, his bike and his dog. Gibbs was relieved Michael seemed to be his old self and hoped they would soon be on their way home. Instead of going back to the ER they were told they could stay in the waiting area of radiology and a doctor would be in to see them. Michael settled in his daddy's lap watching the Cars movie on television. They had only been waiting about five minutes when Ducky showed up.

"Hey Duck what are you doing here?"

"Hi Ducky. I had a wreck."

"I heard about that Michael and I came to see how you are. Is everything alright, Jethro?"

"I think so. We're waiting for the radiologist and the doctor. I think Michael's fine though. How did you know we were here?'

"Barbara called me and told me what happened."

"How is Annie doing? She was pretty upset when we left."

"Her mom said she's still upset but once she knows Michael's okay I'm sure she will be too. How are you?"

"I'm fine. It was scary for everyone but hopefully we'll be home soon. Can you stay and give us a ride?"

"Of course. That was my plan."

After twenty more minutes of waiting Gibbs was getting anxious. After thirty minutes, when he saw Dr. Ryan walk past the room he was getting nervous. Ten minutes later when Frank walked in and motioned for him to step out he was passing nervous on the way to scared.

"Michael, I have to go talk to Dr. Frank. You stay here with Ducky and watch the movie and I'll be right across there at the desk."

Michael was so engrossed in his movie, even though he'd seen it probably twenty times, that he just nodded and moved to the next chair so his dad could get up. Jethro kissed him on the top of the head and walked out to talk to Frank.

"What's wrong, Frank? He got something broken?"

"No, nothing's broken or even cracked. Jethro, this is Dr. Jenny Sheppard. She needs to talk to you about the x-rays."

Gibbs had known Frank Ryan for a long time and judging by the look on his face he knew something was wrong with Michael. Gibbs shifted his attention to the woman standing next to Frank. His mind was going to lots of dark places and part of him didn't want to hear anything this woman had to say. He turned to look back at Michael who was laughing and talking to Ducky. Somehow he knew that whatever Dr. Sheppard was going to say was bad news and he wanted no part of it. Even so, he looked at her waiting for her to begin but for some reason she wasn't speaking. Or was she?

"Agent Gibbs did you hear me?"

Jethro shook his head and blinked. He sensed Ducky standing behind him now. "What? I'm sorry did you ask me something?"

"I asked if we needed to wait for Michael's mother before I tell you what I see on the films."

"No." He was abrupt and didn't elaborate.

Dr. Sheppard was a little taken aback by Gibbs' attitude and glanced over to Dr. Ryan who simply nodded at her to continue. "Alright, first as Dr. Ryan said, Michael has no fractures or other injury from his accident. However, I do see an anomaly in the area of his kidneys that concerns me. I would like to do an ultrasound to determine more clearly what that anomaly is."

Jethro looked at Dr. Ryan and then at Ducky. "What kind of anomaly?"

"It appears to be a growth of some sort on or very near the right kidney. I won't know for sure until I get a better look at it. An ultrasound would give me a much better idea of what we're looking at. Has your son complained of any pain in that area recently?"

"No. Are you saying this is a tumor or something?"

"It's something but until I can get a better look I don't want to speculate."

"Frank?"

"An ultrasound is non-invasive as you know, and I agree with Dr. Sheppard. She needs a better look."

"Okay. When?"

"Right now."

Jethro felt Ducky's hand on his back and was very grateful to have his most trusted friend with him. His head was swimming with all kinds of frightening scenarios and he had to force himself to concentrate. In his professional life, Jethro Gibbs was a decorated, very competent and fearless federal agent. In his personal life he was a single father whose whole life centered on his son. The idea that Michael had a serious medical condition scared him beyond words. He processed what he was being told and took a deep breath.

"Fine. Do I need to sign something?"

Dr. Sheppard handed him a clipboard with the required forms and indicated where he was to sign.

"If you'd like I can talk to Michael with you. In case he has questions about the procedure you can't answer."

Jethro quickly signed the forms, handed her the clipboard, and in his interrogator voice he asked, "What kind of doctor are you exactly?"

Dr. Sheppard was again, taken aback by Gibbs' directness but she could see on his face his worry and fear about his child. And, she knew he was a good friend of Dr. Ryan so she ignored what some would have considered rudeness and replied in a calm, even tone, "I'm a pediatric surgeon. I'm accustomed to talking with children and I am happy to help if you need it. If not, I'll go get started on the arrangements."

Owing in part to the jab he got from Ducky, Jethro realized how unkind that question had sounded. In a rare break from his rules he said, "I apologize for how that came out. I think it would be good if you came with me to talk to Michael. Thank you."

Just then Dr. Sheppard's pager went off. She looked at the number and asked, "Agent Gibbs, can you wait a few minutes while I take care of that?"

"Sure. Ducky could you stay with Michael while I talk to Frank?"

"Of course."

Jethro moved away from the nurses station and asked Dr. Ryan, "She knows what she's talking about right Frank?"

"Absolutely. She's very qualified and if you like I'll consult with her. But, she's the expert."

"But she's a surgeon. She likes to cut."

"I'm a surgeon too you know! She won't do anything that isn't absolutely necessary."

While the two men were talking, Dr. Sheppard was watching them from across the room. She studied Agent Gibbs and liked what she saw. Of course these were not the best of circumstances but that didn't alter his physical appearance which she found to be very easy on the eyes. What she saw was a man in his early forties in excellent physical shape. He was wearing a faded NCIS tee shirt and well worn jeans. He looked like he had been working outside when Michael was hurt and he had to rush away without time to clean up. It certainly wasn't a bad look she mused. She took in the short gray hair and figured he was a military man in his younger days. He was tan and well built with large hands, a slightly crooked, probably broken at one time, nose and the most amazing blue eyes. Today they were clouded with worry but she surmised that under different circumstances they would be captivating. She hadn't seen a smile or even a glimmer of one yet but she bet it was a good one when he showed it. Of course all his face was showing now was worry and impatience.

"Jethro, I need to go check on some patients. I'll stay in touch with Dr. Sheppard and you can page me if you have any questions."

"Okay, thanks."

Gibbs stood in the hallway looking into the waiting area at his son and his best friend. Ducky was really Michael's surrogate grandfather since his real grandfather lived in Pennsylvania and couldn't be around as much as he'd like. Michael adored Ducky and listened with fascination to all his stories. Jethro loved his son so much it scared him sometimes. Michael was the spitting image of his father but luckily, had his mother's calm temperament.

He loved building things with his dad in the basement and he also loved books and puzzles and his chocolate Lab, Maggie who followed him everywhere. Jethro forced himself to look away and glanced across the room at the woman who in a few short hours could devastate his world.

For the first time Jethro actually looked at Dr. Sheppard. She was tall and athletic looking with red hair and very green eyes. She wore her hair just off her shoulders and it was naturally curly. He thought she looked like a runner or maybe a swimmer. She was dressed in dark blue scrubs and a long white lab coat. Most people who knew her thought of her as quite attractive. She had a lovely smile that didn't seem to suit her reputation as a very driven and demanding surgeon. That smile was magic with children however, and most of the time with their parents as well. Not in this case; not today anyway.

Jethro didn't notice the smile or the smooth, slightly freckled skin or the thick curly red hair. The eyes did catch his attention but only for the barest of moments. Jethro Gibbs had not noticed a beautiful woman for a very long time. He saw them all the time, even worked with a few, but he just didn't NOTICE them. All he had time for was work and Michael. He had no interest in having a woman in his life even though he sometimes thought about how sad it was for Michael to miss out on having a mom. He didn't give much thought to what he, himself was missing. Not anymore.

Today Dr. Sheppard's beauty, her great smile and her wonderful bedside manner were going unnoticed. All Jethro saw was a woman who was telling him there was something wrong with his five year old. And now she was walking toward him. He told himself not to borrow trouble. Maybe this thing with Michael wasn't going to be serious and could easily be taken care of. If he wasn't going to let his dark thoughts spill over onto his little boy he needed to get a grip on his emotions. In the time it took for Dr. Sheppard to cross the room, Gibbs did just that. He put away his fear, erected his wall of privacy and prepared to help Michael through whatever came next.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. We're all set though so why don't we go explain this test to Michael and get going. I'm sure you will feel better when you know more. The wondering and imagining is often much worse than actually knowing."

_She has a great smile. What did she just say? _Jethro blinked and focused on Dr. Sheppard. "I'm sorry. I don't seem to be able to focus today. Are you ready?"

"I understand and yes, let's go see this son of yours."

Jethro led the way into the waiting room where Michael was sitting on Ducky's lap almost asleep. When he saw his dad, Michael raised his arms toward him silently asking to be held. Jethro easily took his son into his arms and the child immediately wrapped himself around his father.

"Can we go home now, daddy?"

"Not yet buddy. This is Dr. Sheppard. She and I need to talk to you about something."

Jethro carried Michael to the couch on the other side of the room and sat down with him. Dr. Sheppard sat down near them and smiled at Michael. She noticed he looked very much like his father right down to the clear blue eyes. She looked at Gibbs and gave a slight nod to him to begin. She wanted the first talk of further tests to come from him so Michael wouldn't be as scared.

Gibbs took a deep breath and began. "You know all those pictures they took of your bones? Well while they were doing that they saw something else they want to take some more pictures of."

"You mean more x-rays?"

"Not exactly. This will be different kind of machine that takes better pictures of your insides. Dr. Sheppard will look at the new pictures to find out what that thing was they saw on the x-rays."

Jethro didn't think he was doing a very good job of explaining the situation and Michael didn't seem to be too interested in what he was saying. He looked down at his son and found he was focused on Dr. Sheppard, not on what he was saying.

"Maybe Dr. Sheppard can explain it better." He looked at her and gave her the barest of smiles.

Michael was still sitting on his father's lap but now he sat up a little straighter and looked at Dr. Sheppard expectantly. "Are you going to take the pictures?"

"No I have someone who does that for me but I'll be there to watch if that's okay with you. Do you want to know how it works?"

Michael just nodded.

Dr. Sheppard reached over and pulled up his shirt. "First we will put some jelly stuff on your tummy and down here." She lightly ran her fingers across his stomach and lower abdomen. "Then we use a really cool camera thing that takes pictures through your skin and shows us your insides. It's pretty neat and it doesn't hurt at all".

"Can daddy come with me?"

"Oh yes, daddy will be there."

"What are you going to look at?"

Jethro grimaced but Dr. Sheppard seemed to be prepared for that question. She looked directly at Michael and reached out to hold his hand.

"Have you ever heard of kidneys, Michael?"

"Maybe."

"Well we have two kidneys and they are very important parts of our body. They are filters for our bodies."

"Like coffee filters?"

She laughed and replied, "Yes, like coffee filters. When I looked at your x-rays I saw something next to your kidneys that isn't supposed to be there and I want to know what it is. So we need to do the ultrasound. What else would you like to know?"

"When can I go home?"

"I'm not sure. Let's go do the test and then I'll be able to tell you. Okay?"

Michael looked up at his daddy. "What do you say daddy?"

"I say we let Dr. Sheppard look and then we'll talk about going home. Come on, let's get going."

With that, Jethro stood up with Michael and walked into the hall. They followed Dr. Sheppard down the hall and into the exam room. Jethro turned to Ducky and asked, "Can you stick around?"

"I have no intention of going anywhere. Don't worry, I'll be right here when you're finished."

In reality, the ultrasound didn't take very long but it seemed like hours to Gibbs. Michael didn't seem to mind; he was quiet and almost asleep most of the time. Jethro held his hand and stroked his thumb over his son's small knuckles. He tried to read Dr. Sheppard's face as she watched the images on the screen but she gave nothing away. Jethro talked softly to Michael about what they would do when they got home and tried to keep positive thoughts in his head. It wasn't easy.

When the test was finished, Dr. Sheppard spoke to Michael, "All finished Michael. Now, if you and your dad will just wait a few more minutes I'll be able to tell you what I found."

"I wanna go home daddy."

"I know buddy. Pretty soon. Let's see what Dr. Sheppard found in your tummy first."

Jethro picked Michael up and carried him back to the waiting room. He turned to look at Dr. Sheppard and said, "Unless you have some really compelling reason why we can't, I'm taking my son home in thirty minutes." He turned back and continued on with his son.

Ducky greeted them in the waiting room and two minutes later, Abby and Kate joined them. Michael climbed down from his daddy's lap and went to hug them. Then he sat down with Abby and told her all about his tests.

"What are you two doing here, Kate?"

"Ducky called and said Michael was hurt. What's going on? Is he alright?"

"Yeah he's fine. At least from the accident this morning. The doctor saw something on the x-rays and wanted to do an ultrasound. We just came from that and we're waiting to hear what she found. Something about a growth or something near his kidneys. I don't know."

Kate touched his arm and made him look at her, "Hey, it's going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen to Michael. You have to believe that."

Gibbs looked at his agent and said, "I know. It's just…..well you know how I feel about hospitals."

"Yea, I know. Is this doctor someone you trust?"

"Just met her today. Frank Ryan says she's the best and I trust him."

"Okay then."

Ten minutes later Dr. Sheppard appeared in the doorway and signaled to Jethro to join her in the hall. He told Michael he'd be right back and went out to hear what she had to say. Ducky followed.

Jethro saw Dr. Ryan at the desk and knew he was about to hear something bad about his child. "Frank?"

Dr. Sheppard stepped up next to Jethro and said, "I have carefully studied Michael's films and Dr. Ryan and I have concluded Michael needs surgery to remove the growth we see next to his kidneys."

"Surgery?" Gibbs' mind was spinning. "What is this thing?"

"We don't know exactly. It seems to be wholly self contained but it is encroaching on the right kidney and needs to come out. It will be a simple procedure and Michael shouldn't be in the hospital more than a couple of days."

Jethro looked from her to Dr. Ryan to Ducky and back to Dr. Sheppard. She seemed very confident and calm; two things he was not feeling at the moment. He looked back at Frank and asked, "You agree?"

"Yes, Jethro, I do. I don't think we should just watch this thing and see what happens. Let's get it out of there and be done with it."

"Is that what you'd do if it was Lauren?" Lauren was Dr. Ryan's nine year old daughter.

"Absolutely. Look Jethro, Dr. Sheppard is an excellent surgeon and she wouldn't suggest this if she wasn't sure it needed to be done. I understand your hesitation. But I suggest you get this taken care of now and put it behind you."

Gibbs took a deep breath and looked at Ducky who nodded his agreement. "Okay. When?"

"I have an opening in the morning, nine o'clock. I'd like to go ahead and get this done. There's no point in taking Michael home and then coming back later. You're here, so let's just schedule it, you spend the night and Michael is home in a couple of days."

"Alright." Jethro answered without enthusiasm but with a certain degree of acceptance. "Let me go tell him."

"Would you like me to go with you? In case he has questions?"

"Sure."

They all trooped back down to the waiting area where Michael was standing in front of Abby and Kate entertaining them with stories about his crash. When the two women looked up they knew something was wrong. Both had known and worked for Gibbs for a long time and both had been part of Michael's life since he was born. They could tell by the look on his father's face and on Ducky's for that matter, that it wasn't good news. They also didn't fail to notice the very attractive doctor who was accompanying Gibbs. Abby in particular took in the red hair and made a mental note to investigate further when the time was right.

"Could you guys give us a minute?"

"Sure, come on Abby let's go get something to drink. We'll see you later Michael."

Kate and Abby kissed Michael goodbye and left.

"Are we going home daddy?"

"Not yet."

"But you said…."

"I know but Dr. Sheppard thinks you need to stay and have an operation. You know that thing she was looking at on the test you had? Well, she thinks it needs to come out and she wants to do that tomorrow."

Michael looked like he might cry but he didn't. He looked from his father to Dr. Sheppard with big blue eyes and blinked back his tears. Jethro didn't know what else to say and the sight of his little boy about to cry broke his heart. Dr. Sheppard stepped in and saved the moment.

She sat down in the seat Kate had vacated and held out her hands to Michael who was still standing looking back and forth from her to his daddy. He quickly climbed onto her lap and let her put her arm around his shoulders. This surprised Gibbs because Michael, although a friendly kid, didn't normally take to strangers very quickly; especially women. He seemed very comfortable with Dr. Sheppard however. Gibbs told himself that was a good thing even though it made him nervous for some reason.

"Do you know what an operation is, Michael?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm going to tell you all about it but first I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise you will ask me any questions you have and tell me if you don't understand something I say. Can you do that?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I will make you a promise. I promise I will tell you the truth all the time. Okay?"

"Okay. Daddy says we always have to tell the truth."

"Your daddy is right. Now before we get to the part about the operation would you go with Dr. Ryan and Ducky and get settled in your room while I have your dad sign some papers for me? I promise we'll be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Is it okay Daddy?"

"Yea, it's okay. You go with Ducky and I'll be there in a few minutes. Everything is going to be fine Michael."

Michael jumped down to go with Ducky but turned back to Dr. Sheppard and smiled at her. "I like you and I'm not scared."

"I'm glad Michael. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Dr. Sheppard led Gibbs down the hall to the nurse's station where she called her office and told her assistant what she wanted for Michael. Then she called the admitting office and gave her instructions to someone on the other end of the line.

"You need to go to admitting on the first floor and sign some paperwork. If you go down there and take care of it yourself you won't have to worry about them sending someone up and missing you. Do you have your insurance card and all that stuff with you?"

"Yes."

Dr. Sheppard looked at him intently and sensed something was troubling him; something besides the obvious. "What can I say to make this easier for you Agent Gibbs?"

"What do you mean?"

"It seems like you're more worried than I would expect you to be. I know this is frightening and happening very quickly but I believe Michael will be fine. Is there something else bothering you or something about Michael's condition you want to ask about?"

"No. It's just as you said, happening pretty fast. I'm not a fan of hospitals."

"Hardly anyone is, Agent Gibbs. I understand. Michael will be in room 515 when you get back. I'll be back in to see him in just a few minutes. They should have all your paperwork ready when you get downstairs. Ask for Angela and she'll get you fixed up. I'll see you in Michael's room. Okay?"

"Yes. Thank you Dr. Sheppard. For helping me talk to Michael, I mean."

"You're welcome. It's all part of the job."

"I don't think so," he said to himself as he walked away.

She heard him and smiled. He was right; Michael had a special little spark to him that had her smitten with the little boy. And his father seemed to have a certain quality about him, sadness or at least melancholy, that made her want to know more. She gave herself a reprimand and reminded herself to stick to business; fix the child not the father.

While Jethro was signing all the papers required to have Michael admitted to the hospital, Tony called.

"Hey, Boss, how's Mike?"

"He's okay as far as the car hitting him but he's got some kind of growth on his kidneys so he's having surgery in the morning. You'll have to be in charge for a few days. Where are you anyway?"

"On my way back from Virginia Beach. Kate called and I just got the message. Anything I can do for you?"

"Just be at work on time Monday morning DiNozzo."

"Sure thing Boss."

"Tony…..thanks. I'll let you know, or Ducky will tomorrow."

Jethro closed his phone and headed up to the fifth floor. He met Abby and Kate in the elevator. Ducky had filled them in on the situation with Michael and the scheduled surgery.

"I thought you two had plans for the weekend."

"We did but we wanted to check on you and Michael. I called Tony but he didn't answer so I left a message."

"Yea, he called just now. He's in charge for a few days. Listen, you two go on with your plans and I'll let you know what happens tomorrow."

"Do you need anything before we go?"

"No, Abby I'm fine. You guys go on and have fun."

Jethro got off on the fifth floor and the girls headed back down. When he arrived at the room he heard Michael laughing and figured Ducky was telling him a story. He stopped in the doorway and saw it was Dr. Sheppard who was making Michael laugh. She was sitting on the bed with him listening while he told her all about how he was run over by a car. He used lots of hand motions and the crashing sounds that came so naturally to little boys. Jethro watched as his son smiled and laughed with what he suddenly realized was a very pretty woman. He felt a little tug at his heart when he thought about all the things, large and small, that Michael was missing out on because he didn't have his mom. The longer he watched the more angry he got and greater his fear became.

Ducky looked up and saw Jethro in the doorway, quickly excused himself and stepped out. By the time he did so, Jethro had turned away and walked down the hall to the stairway exit. Ducky watched the door close behind his friend and followed. He found Gibbs sitting on the steps with his head in his hands. Ducky sat down next to him.

"Talk to me Jethro."

"I watched Michael with her and it made me so angry that he has to grow up without his mom. Most of the time now I don't think about it but it's just too much today."

They sat in silence for a time and finally Jethro scrubbed his hands over his face and stood up. He offered his hand to Ducky and helped him stand.

"I wish I had an answer for you my friend. Maybe someday there will be someone who can serve as Michael's mother. I know, you don't think so but don't close yourself off from that possibility."

"We've had this conversation a hundred times Duck. I'm not looking for anyone to fill that role; or any other for that matter."

"That's when someone appears; when you're not looking. Now, go throw some cold water on your face so Michael doesn't see you've been upset. I'll see you in there."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Many thanks for all the reviews and alerts. I really appreciate them. Makes the writing all the more fun!

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 2

Jethro got himself together in the men's room and returned to Michael's room. Dr. Sheppard was talking to him now, showing him how to adjust the bed and turn on the lights and television. She smiled at him when he walked in the room.

"Look daddy, the bed moves up and down," Michael said excitedly. He happily demonstrated his newfound powers.

"That's pretty cool. Just don't fold yourself up in there okay."

Michael looked concerned for a moment then laughed and said, "I won't."

Dr. Sheppard stood up and motioned for Jethro to take her place on the bed. He sat down and Michael settled back against the raised head of the bed. He looked at his father and then at Ducky and finally back to Dr. Sheppard. Michael reached for his father's hand and held on tight. Something in his young mind was telling him his daddy was upset and he was starting to get scared. Jethro saw the familiar look on his son's face and took a deep breath before he launched into his explanation of what was happening.

"Okay buddy you know Dr. Sheppard says you need an operation right? So we're going to spend the night here and tomorrow you will have the operation and then in a couple more days we'll go home. Do you want Dr. Sheppard to explain anything to you?"

"Is it going to hurt?"

"No, it won't hurt a bit."

"Did you ever have any operations?"

"Yes, Dr. Frank has fixed daddy up a few times."

Dr. Sheppard believed in telling children as much as they could understand about their medical condition and what was being done to them. She felt they deserved to be treated with respect just as adults are. Still, Michael was very young and she was cautious about frightening him.

"Would you like me to explain what is going to happen tomorrow, Michael?"

Michael just nodded his head, never taking his eyes off his father. Jethro stood up and moved to the other side of the bed signaling for her to take his place. He watched as she settled herself and began talking to Michael in a quiet, calm voice.

"First thing in the morning, probably about seven o'clock, a nurse will come in and give you some medicine that will help you sleep."

"Won't I already be asleep?"

Everyone laughed including Michael. "Yes, you probably will but this is special medicine called anesthetic and it will make you sleep really good so you don't wake up during the operation. After you get the medicine, some nice nurses will come get you and take you, bed and all, to the operating room."

"By myself?"

"No, daddy will go with you. He can't go in the operating room but he will be waiting right outside the door. When you get there I'll be waiting and we'll do the operation. Do you want to know about that part?"

Again, Michael just nodded. He was holding Dr. Sheppard's hand now and focusing all his attention on her.

"First we'll wash your side with some orange medicine. Then I will take a scalpel which is a super sharp little knife and make a short cut right about here." She lifted Michael's shirt and drew a line with her finger on his abdomen. "I promise it won't hurt. Then I will reach in and take out the thing that's growing in there and after that I'll sew you up and you'll be good as new. Then you will go to another room until you wake up. Daddy will be in there waiting on you and then you will come back here. You might fell kinda yucky for a while but I promise we'll take good care of you and help you feel better."

"And then I can go home?"

Ducky chuckled from across the room. "Just like his father; always ready to go home from the hospital."

"You will have to spend the night tomorrow and we'll see about you going home after that. Any more questions?"

"I guess not. I'm hungry daddy."

"How about you Agent Gibbs, any questions?"

"No. Except, can he have something to eat? We didn't have lunch before we got here and it's getting pretty late."

"Yes, he can have supper. Michael is there anything special you sleep with?"

"Franklin. He's a dog. Not a real dog. A stuffed dog. I have a real dog, Maggie but she doesn't sleep with me. She sleeps with daddy."

Dr. Sheppard smiled at Jethro and was surprised when he actually smiled back. She had been correct; he had a fabulous smile.

"Well, I wonder if maybe daddy would like to go home and get Franklin for you."

"I don't really want to leave him here alone."

"I will be glad to stay with Michael for an hour or so. I think Franklin would be a good idea and maybe you would like to get some things for yourself since I'm sure you'll be here for a couple of days."

"That's not a bad idea, Jethro. I could drive you and then you could come back in your own car."

Jethro looked at Michael who was just sitting quietly on the bed holding Dr. Sheppard's hand. He noticed her thumb absently moving back and forth across Michael's knuckles. "Will you be okay here with Dr. Sheppard while I go home and get Franklin?"

"I guess. Can you bring some books for us to read?"

"Sure, I'll bring your pj's too. I won't be gone long, I promise."

Jethro leaned down and kissed his son on the head. "I love you Michael. I'll be back in a flash."

"Love you too daddy."

Ducky told Michael goodbye and the two men walked out of the room. The ride home was silent until Jethro finally gave in. "Go ahead, Duck. What's on your mind?"

"I just want to tell you to stop worrying but I know you won't. I have a pretty good idea of what's going on in that mind of yours, Jethro and I hate to see you so anxious. I talked to Frank earlier and he is confident Michael will be just fine. He also said Dr. Sheppard is the best he's ever seen with children and an excellent surgeon."

"Michael sure seems to like her."

"Yes, I believe he does. Your son is a very charming little person and he has her wrapped very tightly around his finger already. In case you haven't noticed, she is a very beautiful woman."

"Honestly, I haven't noticed. Well, maybe a little bit but I will be sure to take notice when I get back; just to check out what you're saying."

The two men laughed and continued on in silence. When they reached the house, Ducky tried to make his point again. "Try to relax a little bit Jethro. Michael will be fine. Call me tomorrow as soon as you know something."

"I will. Thanks for everything Duck. Tony is in charge but be sure he calls me if they get a case."

"Of course. Good night Jethro."

"Night Duck."

Jethro hurried into the house and ran upstairs to take a quick shower. Once he was dressed he got Michael's backpack and loaded in some books, Franklin, pajamas, toothbrush and Michael's favorite blanket. Downstairs he fixed himself a sandwich and picked up his own book and headed to the car. He didn't need to pack a bag; his go bag was always in the trunk. He went next door and spoke to Annie's parents telling them what was going on with Michael.

"Tell Annie maybe it was a blessing in disguise that she backed into Michael; otherwise we wouldn't know about this thing and it might have had a chance to turn into something bad. Could you look after Maggie until we get home?"

"Of course. Give Michael a kiss for us and don't worry about anything here. Just take care of our boy. Annie will appreciate what you said, Jethro. Please let us know if you need anything."

"I will, Barbara. Thanks for everything."

While Jethro was getting organized at home, Dr. Sheppard sat with Michael while he had his supper. They talked a little bit about the surgery but Dr. Sheppard didn't want him to stress about it so she steered the conversation in another direction.

"Tell me about your school Michael. What grade are you in?"

"I was in kindergarten but now I'm going to be in first grade. I'm going to be six in June. I bet I get a new bike for my birthday cuz my old bike got runned over today. "

"Yes, I imagine you will need a new bike. Do you have any brothers or sisters?

"No it's just me and daddy. I have daddy's team. They're kinda my aunts and uncles. And Ducky is like my grandpa. My real grandpa lives in Pennsylvania. He has a grocery store and when we go visit I get to work there. I get to put the prices on the stuff and take the money. It's fun."

"It sounds like fun. Will you have a birthday party you think?"

"Sure."

"What's your favorite cake for your birthday?"

"Chocolate. That's daddy's favorite too. Last year I had a sailboat cake. My daddy is building a new boat but we have one already that we go sailing on. Have you ever been sailing?"

"Yes a few times. I like it. Do you get to help with the boat? Sailing it I mean."

"Kind of. Daddy's teaching me but I'm still too little to do most of the stuff. Maybe you could go sailing with us sometime."

Dr. Sheppard didn't respond to that. However, her mind did wander for just a few moments to what Agent Gibbs might look like in shorts and no shirt in the summer sun. It was a pretty nice picture in her mind. To distract herself from too much of that sort of thinking she cleared away the supper tray and gave Michael a quick lesson in taking blood pressure and temperature and let him listen to his heart. He was fascinated with the stethoscope and listened to his own heart for a long time.

"You like to play cards, Michael?"

"Sure. I like Go Fish. I beat daddy almost every time."

Dr. Sheppard took a well used deck of cards from her coat pocket and arranged herself on the bed facing Michael. "Okay, let's see how I do."

Twenty-five minutes later Michael had won three hands to her one. In between games, Michael had told her all about the boat his daddy was building in their basement. She found that very intriguing. He also told her about his dog Maggie, all the people on his dad's team and his friend Emily whose father was his daddy's friend in the FBI. Not one word was said about his mother. She wondered about that but did not ask him about her. He so freely talked about other things she thought he would have mentioned her if it was a topic he was comfortable with. She asked him if he wanted to play one more hand but he said he was tired.

"Could I sit on your lap, Dr. Sheppard?"

"I'd like that Michael. Why don't you call me Dr. Jenny, okay? Let's sit in that comfy chair by the window."

"Okay." Michael snuggled into her lap and rested his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the top of the head.

They were quiet for a while before Michael asked, "Did you have a party on your birthday?"

She wondered why he had gone back to the subject of birthdays but she was used to children asking seemingly random questions at odd times. "No, I didn't."

"How come?"

"Well, when we get older some people don't celebrate their birthdays like you do when you're young."

"Did you have a party when you were six?"

"No, I don't think so."

Michael thought about that for a moment then said, "That's too bad. I like parties; especially birthday parties because there is always cake and ice cream."

"Yes, those are two of my favorite things too. What sort of cake do you want this year?"

"I want a fire truck. I'm going to be a fireman after I'm a Marine."

"Wow, that sounds good. Do you know any firemen?"

"Our neighbor Ben is a fireman. And my daddy was a Marine."

"Well, those are two really great things for a boy to be."

Michael just nodded and snuggled in a little closer. He was getting anxious for his dad to come back but he was also enjoying being with his Doctor Jenny. He liked her a lot. He was sitting in her lap thinking that she smelled good and her hands were nice and soft. Michael knew lots of women; Abby and Kate and his friend's moms but he never sat in their laps or let them hold him. Dr. Jenny was different though. He liked her red hair because it reminded him of his mom's hair in the picture he had in his room.

Michael was about to fall asleep when Jethro arrived back at the room. He stood in the doorway and watched his son cuddling so comfortably with a woman he had only know for a few hours. He took a moment to really look at Dr. Sheppard and he had to agree with Ducky; she was a beautiful woman. She had a great smile and Michael seemed to coax it out of her with ease. The little boy sensed his father in the room and sat up as his father stepped toward them.

"Hi daddy."

"Hey buddy, everything alright?"

"Sure. Dr. Sheppard let me listen to my heart and she took my blood pressure and showed me how to take my temperature and then we played Go Fish."

"He's quite the little card shark. I barely won one hand."

"He beats me regularly. Thank you for staying with him."

"It was my pleasure." She helped Michael stand up and he immediately raised his arms so his daddy could pick him up. "I'll see you in the morning Michael. I want you to get a good nights sleep okay?"

"I will. Thank you for playing cards with me and showing me all the doctor stuff."

"You're welcome. Any questions before I leave?"

Both Gibbs men said no so she left. Jethro sat down on the bed and gave Michael his backpack. The little boy quickly opened it and pulled out his beloved Franklin.

"Why don't you go in and brush your teeth then we can read some stories before you go to sleep."

Without a word Michael hopped down and took his toothbrush and toothpaste into the bathroom. While he was doing that, Jethro changed out of his jeans into some more comfortable sweatpants and a tee shirt. He figured if he was going to spend the night in a chair he might as well be as comfortable as possible.

When Michael came out of the bathroom he pulled on his pajamas and climbed back on the bed. "Will you sit up here with me daddy?"

Jethro raised the head of the bed just a little and sat down taking Michael onto his lap. The little boy laid back against his father's chest and sighed. "Why do I have to be in the hospital when I don't feel sick?"

Jethro squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep, silent breath. He could hear the little tremor in his son's voice and it broke his heart. He hated for Michael to be afraid or upset. "Well, because Dr. Sheppard thinks that thing on your kidney shouldn't be there so she wants to take it out. It will only be for a couple of days I bet. Everything is going to be fine, I promise."

"But what if something happens? Like with mommy?"

Jethro turned Michael around to face him. He took the child's face gently in his big hands and looked him right in the eyes. "Nothing is going to happen. You are going to be fine and come home with me in a couple of days. I promise. Trust me Michael, I wouldn't let Dr. Sheppard operate on you if I thought something bad would happen. Okay?"

"Okay. I might be just a little bit scared but not very much."

"It's okay to be scared. But you trust me Michael, I won't let anything happen to you."

Michael snuggled down in his father's lap. "Could you read me some stories now?"

"Sure."

It took all he had to read the first story with a steady voice. After that he was better but the nagging thread of fear never really went away. Not even when the third story was finished and Michael was sleeping soundly in his lap. Jethro rearranged himself more comfortably on the bed and held the most precious thing in his world securely in his arms. He said many silent prayers that he would be able to keep his promises to his son and take him home in a few days. After what seemed like hours he too drifted off to sleep.

An hour later, before leaving for the night, Dr. Sheppard stopped by Michael's room to see if his father had any questions about tomorrow's surgery. She opened the door quietly and found father and son fast asleep. She silently walked to the bedside, turned off the light over the bed and spread a blanket over the sleeping figures. As she turned to leave a strong hand reached out and caught her wrist. She was a bit startled since she thought Gibbs was asleep.

"Thanks. For everything."

She smiled at him in the dark and patted him on the arm. "You're welcome. See you in the morning."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews and alerts. You filled up my email which was much needed and appreciated today!

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 3

The next morning things went right on schedule. The anesthesiologist came in at 7:00, Michael was taken to surgery at 7:30 and Jethro began his vigil in the waiting room. He had only waited about fifteen minutes when Tony, McGee and Kate arrived. They explained they could answer their phones just as well there as at their desks and they wanted to be sure everything was okay with Michael. Jethro was grateful for their support. Everyone knew his feelings about hospitals so nothing else needed to be said. Just over an hour later, Dr. Sheppard came out and told them everything was fine and Michael was in the recovery room. As she finished speaking, Tony's phone beeped and they had to leave for work. Dr. Sheppard looked at Gibbs as they left and realized he didn't look very relieved.

"He's fine Agent Gibbs. The mass was wholly self-contained and I don't believe it will test as anything to be concerned about. I must say you don't seem as pleased as I thought you would be."

"Of course I'm pleased! What kind of thing is that to say?"

"I'm sorry. That didn't come out right. It's just that you still look very worried and I hope you understood I'm very pleased by the outcome. Michael tolerated the surgery perfectly. He should be awake in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you come with me and I'll take you to the recovery room."

Gibbs didn't say a word in reply. He just followed Dr. Sheppard to the recovery room and walked to Michael's bed. He ran his fingers through his son's soft brown hair and kissed him on the cheek. Then he sat down and waited for him to wake up. In about ten minutes Michael began to stir and soon he was awake and looking sleepily at his father. Gibbs smiled at him and leaned down kissing him on the forehead.

"Hi, buddy. Everything is okay now. Do you feel okay?"

"Sleepy. When can we go home?"

Gibbs laughed; Michael did sound just like him. "Maybe tomorrow."

After about thirty more minutes Michael was awake enough to go back to his room. Once there he had a few sips of water and went back to sleep. He slept on and off for most of the morning. By mid afternoon he was finally wide awake and watching television with his dad. Gibbs began to relax a little bit and some of his anxiety about Michael being in the hospital was slipping away. Unfortunately that didn't last. By four o'clock Michael was very tired and had thrown up his lunch. He complained of his stomach hurting.

The nurse tried to reassure Gibbs that is was most likely just a delayed reaction to the anesthesia and maybe too much lunch but he was not persuaded. He insisted they page Dr. Sheppard so they did. She arrived ten minutes later.

She walked directly to the bedside and spoke to Michael. "Hey Michael, I hear you don't feel so good. Do you hurt somewhere?"

"My tummy hurts a little. I threw up."

Without hesitation, Michael climbed over and sat in her lap. Dr. Sheppard brushed her fingers through his thick brown hair and let her hand rest on his forehead.

"I know the nurse told me. Show me where it hurts."

Michael pointed to his stomach. Dr. Sheppard gently probed his abdomen and he didn't flinch. After settling him back on the bed, she checked his incision and then let him listen to his heart with her stethoscope. She stood and walked the few steps over to his very anxious father.

"Michael doesn't have any fever, his incision is fine and his abdomen is soft. I think he is just reacting to the anesthesia, lunch and too much activity too soon."

"All he's done is watch television," Jethro protested, maybe a little too loudly, not satisfied with that explanation.

Dr. Sheppard took a deep breath and reminded herself this was an anxious parent who needed to be reassured. "He has been awake for several hours now, he's eaten and he's been watching cowboy movies all afternoon. He's tired and he just had semi-major surgery this morning. He will be fine in the morning after he has a good nights sleep. I know you're concerned but believe me, your son is doing just fine, don't worry."

Gibbs' eyes sparked with anger. "You'll excuse me if I don't agree! And if it's all the same to you, I'll stop worrying when I have my son home and not a moment before that."

Gibbs was practically shouting at her and his tone was definitely full of anger but he didn't realize it. His back was to Michael so he couldn't see the little boy was watching the exchange and looking very distressed. By the time his father stopped talking Michael was crying. Dr. Sheppard looked over Gibbs' shoulder and saw what was happening.

Very quietly, through clenched teeth she said, "Agent Gibbs, you need to calm down right now and then turn around and take care of your son." Then she addressed Michael, "I have to go Michael. I'll see you later."

Gibbs immediately turned around to see Michael crying. He quickly went to sit on the bed and took Michael in his arms. "I'm sorry Michael, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Am I going to die daddy? Like mommy?"

Shocked, Jethro hugged his son and said, "No, Michael of course not. You're going to be fine. Please don't think that."

"But why are you mad at Dr. Sheppard? Why are you scared?"

"I'm not scared Michael, I'm just tired I guess and you know I don't like hospitals."

Michael persisted, "Why are you mad at Dr. Sheppard?"

"I'm not mad at her."

"You yelled her. You only yell when you're mad."

"I know. I made a mistake. I shouldn't have yelled at her. But listen, you are going to be fine. She said you're just too tired and maybe we did too much today. You just lay here and we'll look at some books okay. I'm sorry I scared you Michael. I love you."

"Promise you'll tell her you're sorry."

"I will, I promise."

"When?"

"I don't know but before you go home for sure. Now, you lay down here and I'll get us some books."

Jethro felt terrible for frightening his child. He got Michael's storybooks and they read stories together until Michael fell asleep. His father stood and stared out the window for a long time. He let his mind wander back to happy times with Michael's mother; something he didn't do very often these days. They had been so in love and so very happy when Michael was born. He was the first of at least three children he and Beth had planned to have together. Jethro had lost a wife and child many years before and had never expected to have another family. Beth had changed all that and despite his best efforts to avoid it, he had fallen in love with her after just a few weeks. Now he was alone again except for Michael. Even the tiniest thought of losing him scared Gibbs to death. He knew he would never recover from that. He had only managed to recover from Kelly's death because of Beth so he knew he would not survive losing Michael. But, he told himself, that wasn't going to happen. Michael was fine and there was no logical reason for him to be so upset and worried. Of course, there was no logical reason why Michael's mother was dead either.

When he was sure Michael was sound asleep, Gibbs slipped out of the room in search of some decent coffee. He knew the nurse's station on the third floor had good coffee because he had been a patient on that floor at least three times over the past several years. He headed that way in hopes of securing a large enough cup of coffee to last him through the night.

He found a familiar face manning the desk on the third floor. "Hello, beautiful, got any coffee tonight?"

A fiftyish nurse with coffee colored skin and curls tight to her head turned around at the sound of a voice she faintly recognized. "My heavens, if it isn't my favorite patient. How are you Jethro?"

"I'm okay. How are you Teresa? Still keeping things running here I see."

She wrapped him in her arms and gave him a proper hug. Then she held him at arm's length and gave him a quick once over. "You don't look like you need our services. Visiting someone?"

"Michael is here. He had some surgery this morning. Say, do you know Dr. Sheppard?"

"Jenny? I sure do. She's great with children. She operate on Michael?"

"Yea. He had some kind of growth on one of his kidneys. She said he'll be fine but you know me; I'm a skeptic."

"Listen Jethro, if Dr. Sheppard said he'll be fine you can count on it. She's pretty isn't she?" Jethro didn't fail to notice the way Teresa smiled at him and winked.

"Yes, she's pretty. I guess."

"You guess? Who are you really? The Agent Gibbs I remember never failed to notice a pretty nurse or doctor. Have you lost some of your eyesight?"

Jethro laughed. "I guess I've been too worried about Michael to pay much attention. Anyway, I was hoping to steal a cup of your coffee."

Teresa pointed in the direction of the small lounge behind her. "You know where it is, help yourself. And Jethro, you really should pay some attention to Dr. Sheppard. She is a terrific doctor but an even better person. I happen to think, now that I see you, that you two would make a good pair. She might be almost as stubborn as you, my friend."

"You're as bad as Ducky. Between work and taking care of Michael, myself and a dog I barely have time to speak to the neighbors much less have a relationship with anyone. Besides….well, it's just not a good idea." He looked past Teresa and headed for the coffee machine.

Not to be so easily dissuaded, Teresa followed him into the small staff lounge. She took his hand and pulled him around to look at her. "You deserve some happiness, Jethro. I hate to see you shut yourself off; it's been a long time now. Just be open to the possibility is all I'm saying. Maybe Dr. Sheppard isn't the one but be open to the idea. You're a good man and Michael is a terrific boy, maybe you should take a chance before too long."

Jethro put his coffee cup down and pulled Teresa into a hug. She had nursed him back to health twice after he'd been shot and was there with Beth when she died. She was definitely a good friend and he trusted her judgment.

"Well, she probably won't give me the time of day anyway. I kinda yelled at her a while ago; made Michael cry. I imagine she's had about all of me she can stand."

"Don't be too sure. She's tough and dealing with distraught parents is one of her special skills. I could always put in a good word for you."

Her devilish smile made Jethro laugh again. "Maybe later. If I need help I'll let you know. I better get back. I don't want Michael to wake up and find me gone. Thanks, Teresa. I'm glad you were here tonight."

"Me too. Take care Jethro. When is Michael going home?"

"Hopefully tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll stop by and see him in the morning."

Jethro kissed her on the cheek and took his coffee. He mulled over what she had said all the way back to the room. It had been almost four years now; maybe she and Ducky were right. Maybe he needed to be open to the idea at least. But then he thought about all the time and energy a relationship required and shook his head. No, he and Michael were fine just as they were.

When he got back to the room, Michael was still sound asleep. Gibbs sat in the lounge chair and stared out the window at the gathering darkness. He replayed everything that had happened since yesterday morning. It seemed like they had been in this damned hospital a lot longer than two days. He realized DiNozzo had never called him about the case they got that morning. Shaking his head he pulled out his phone and called his senior agent. After a brief conversation he was satisfied his team had everything under control. At least he didn't have to worry about them; they were good at their jobs and could handle this investigation without him. He said a silent prayer of thanks for each one of them along with Abby and Ducky. There was no way he could have managed the last five years as well as he had without their help. He reminded himself to let them know once in a while that he appreciated their support.

Down the hall in her office, Jenny Sheppard was getting ready to go home. She sat at her desk an extra few minutes thinking about Agent Gibbs. She couldn't get past the thought that something was bothering him besides just Michael's condition. She tried to tell herself she was only concerned from a professional standpoint but she had to finally give that up and admit she found him very attractive and intriguing. She wanted to know more; about him and what made him so hostile sometimes. The good doctor considered asking Frank Ryan but that seemed too much like a high school ploy. After sitting at her desk for what seemed like an hour but was actually only fifteen minutes, she got up and headed for room 515. Just to check on Michael she told herself. And his father. If he was still there which of course she knew he would be.

When Dr. Sheppard walked into Michael's room Gibbs was in the process of changing clothes. He had just pulled off his jeans and was reaching for his sweatpants when she stepped through the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have knocked. Excuse me." She whispered so as not to awaken Michael. She stopped and started to back out of the door.

"No, my fault. I should have gone into the bathroom. Don't go. Nothing you haven't seen before anyway, I'm sure." He tried to put some humor in his voice and it seemed to work. Dr. Sheppard stopped and smiled at him.

"I just wanted to check on Michael before I left. Has he been sick again?"

"No. We read some stories after you left and he went to sleep pretty quickly. He's been out for a couple of hours now."

Dr. Sheppard stepped over to the bed and watched Michael sleep for a few moments before tuning her attention to his now dressed father. "His color is good. I'm sure he'll be fine in the morning. I expect he can go home tomorrow afternoon. Of course I want him to take it easy for a few days but by the end of the week I would expect him to be back to normal."

"He'll be glad to hear that. I'll do my best to keep him slowed down for a few days."

They stood in the dim light of room and looked at each other for what seemed a long few moments. Jethro desperately wanted to say something to keep her there. While he had been staring out the window, he had given a lot of thought to what Teresa had said earlier. _This really was a beautiful woman in front of him. What could it hurt to at least be nice to her? _

Jenny was searching for something to say that would prolong their contact but nothing was coming to mind except questions and she hesitated to ask them. Instead she turned from looking at Gibbs and straightened Michael's covers before turning to go.

"Good night, Agent Gibbs. I'll see you before you and Michael leave tomorrow."

"Jethro."

"What?"

"I just thought since you've seen me in my underwear you could call me by my first name. Jethro. Well actually that's my middle name but it's what I go by. Or Gibbs. But I'd like it if you'd call me Jethro." He was rambling; something he almost never did. _Shut up before she thinks you're a moron!_

"Jethro it is then. And please call me Jenny. Is there anything I can say that will help you feel better about Michael being here?"

"Not really." His voice was quiet. Not unkind at all but with a sort of faraway quality to it she found very unexpected. "I do want to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I understand. Think nothing of it."

"Honestly I don't think you do understand. How could you? But Michael said I yelled at you and he made me promise to apologize. I mean I would have anyway. At least I hope I would have. Anyway, I'm sorry."

"Would you like for me to understand?"

_Would I? Yea, I think so. Sometimes I want to talk about Beth and what happened but to whom? Ducky? He's heard it all a hundred times. The team? NO. Why not this person who will probably actually, really understand? Give it a shot._

"Yes, I think I would. Can you stay for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

Jethro motioned for her to sit in the lounge chair and he moved the chair from next to the bed to sit in front of her. They were away from the bed as far as they could get so as not to disturb Michael.

Jethro saw her looking at Michael. "Don't worry. He can sleep through anything."

When he didn't say anything else for a while Jenny began go wonder if she was supposed to start. She had an idea this had to be about Michael's mother. Nothing else seemed to explain the depth of this man's anguish. She decided to take a chance.

Reaching out she put her hand on his and asked, "Michael's mother?"

Without thinking he replied, "Yes."

"What was her name?"

"Beth." That simple exchange broke the dam and it all came flooding out. "She was here to have her gall bladder out. Michael was about fifteen months old. Everything was routine. Supposed to be in and out in a couple of days. No big deal. But it didn't work that way. It was all fine at first. She had the operation and was fine. I was here of course, but that evening she talked me into going home to see the baby."

Jethro was leaning forward in the chair, his arms resting on his thighs, hands clasped together. He paused and looked up at her and she could see, even in the low light, the pain in his eyes. Carefully, she put her hands on his silently urging him to continue. Jethro took a deep breath and went on.

"I drove home and had just walked in the door when the phone rang. It was the charge nurse telling me I needed to come back. I could tell by the tone of her voice that something terrible had happened but I didn't even ask. I couldn't. I just got in the car and drove back here. When I walked in the room I knew she was already gone. A blood clot they said. Broke loose and went right to her heart. Nothing anyone could do. No way to know it was coming. She was thirty-two."

There were tears on his face now and his voice was a hoarse whisper. He stared at the floor and tried to get control of his emotions. It had been a long time since Jethro had talked about Beth dying and an even longer time since he cried in front of anyone. He felt Jenny's hands tighten on his and her thumb rubbing gently back and forth on his fist. It comforted him more than he could say.

"I'm so sorry Jethro. I can't imagine how much that must have hurt you. Now I do understand your anxiety about Michael."

"I've been here quite a few times myself both before and after Beth. Why didn't I get the damned blood clot? I've been shot and blown up and shot again and I never had a blood clot. All she had was a simple gall bladder operation. It just doesn't make sense you know."

"No it doesn't. Sadly there will never be an answer to your questions."

She still held his hands in hers. She wasn't willing to let go until he indicated he wanted her to. They sat there, close together in the dark room and neither said anything for several long minutes. Jethro finally took a deep breath and sat up forcing her to release his hands. He found he missed the contact.

"I can't remember the last time I told someone what happened. I'm sorry to put all that on you."

"Never apologize for the truth, Jethro. Obviously you loved your wife very much and you miss her. Being here brings back all kinds of terrible memories I'm sure. Thankfully you have a wonderful little boy but even Michael can't take the place of your wife."

No one had ever said that to him and he was very grateful for Jenny's understanding. She didn't try to make him feel better or tell him things happen for a reason. She just seemed to get it.

"Thank you for asking me about Michael's mother. I needed to talk about her but I hate to dump on my friends anymore. They've all heard it plenty of times and I don't like to burden them with my sadness."

"I'm glad you felt you could tell me. I have a feeling your friend Ducky would be more than willing to listen to you anytime, Jethro. He seems very devoted to both you and Michael."

"He is. But, well I just hate putting all this off on someone else. Including you."

"We all have to share our grief from time to time. Somehow sharing it makes it easier and lessens it if only a tiny fraction. From what I've observed over the past two days, you are a wonderful father, Jethro. I'm sure Beth is very proud of how you have taken care of Michael. You do her great honor by being such a loving parent in her absence."

"Thank you."

Again they sat together in silence but it was not uncomfortable. In fact, neither of them wanted to move. Jenny wanted to know a lot more about this man but obviously tonight wasn't really the time. For his part, Jethro wanted her to stay. He was used to silence and he liked just sitting in the same room with her.

Eventually though Jenny had to leave. "I better get going, Jethro. I have an early day tomorrow. I'll stop in before lunch just to make sure everything is okay."

"I hope I didn't keep you too late. I appreciate the talk."

Jenny stood up and Jethro walked her to the door. "I'm glad we could do this. Goodnight, Jethro."

"Night Jen."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and alerts. Sinch this is a short chapter the next one is also coming tonight.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 4

Jethro sat back down and reclined the chair. He let the conversation replay in his mind over and over again. He found he didn't have to concentrate very hard to recall the feel of Jenny's hands on his. That was a feeling he wanted to hold onto for a while. Before he finally fell asleep he told himself he would like to see her again. Jethro slept through the night which was not the norm anytime and certainly not in a chair in the hospital. In fact, Michael woke him up when he called his name at 7:30 the next morning.

"Daddy, wake up. I need to go to the bathroom."

Gibbs came awake immediately and got up to put the bedside rail down so Michael could get out of the bed. "Sorry buddy, I guess I was really sleeping."

When Michael came back Jethro was sitting on the bed. He picked his son up and plopped him back down on the bed. "How you feeling this morning little man?"

"I feel good. Can you get Dr. Sheppard to come in and see me so we can go home?"

"Not yet. She's busy this morning but she said she'd come see you before lunch and see if you could go home."

"But I feel good and I miss Maggie. Please, daddy, let's go home."

Jethro almost laughed because he knew exactly how Michael felt. Special Agent Gibbs was known around the hospital as a notoriously bad patient. He had been known to check himself out of the hospital the day after having two bullets removed. Most of the nursing staff tolerated him because they knew he was a good guy but none of them really wanted to deal with him. Except Teresa. She loved Gibbs and he loved her right back. Maybe that was because she was married to a Marine.

"I understand but we have to be patient."

Just then Gibbs was rescued from a whiney little boy by the arrival of Abby and Kate.

"Hey Michael how are you feeling?"

"Hi Abby. Hi Kate. I feel good but daddy says we can't go home yet."

Kate turned to her boss with a knowing smile. "Gee who does he sound like now?"

"Very funny. Listen if you two can stay for a few minutes I need coffee."

"Sure go on. We thought maybe we'd stay for breakfast. Take your time."

Abby pulled a bag of donuts from her very large purse. "Can he eat these?"

"Probably. Let me check first though."

Gibbs grabbed his jeans and disappeared into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. As he left a few minutes later he asked the nurse if Michael could have donuts and she said yes. He stuck his head back in the room and gave them a thumbs up. Walking away he heard Michael's excited, "yes!"

Jethro started for the third floor where he knew he could get some good coffee. When the elevator doors opened Teresa was there holding a big cup of coffee which she passed to him as she stepped off the elevator.

"Thought you might come looking for this so I decided to bring it to you on my way home. I wanted to stop and see Michael anyway."

"You are an angel, Teresa. Thank you very much." Gibbs happily sipped the dark, rich coffee as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Together they walked back to Michael's room where he was happily eating donut holes and drinking milk. They stood in the doorway for a moment, Teresa smiling at how much Michael had grown.

"He looks just like you, Jethro."

"Well, luckily he has his mother's personality. He's a great kid if I do say so myself."

"He seems like a happy child. Is he?"

"Yea I think so. He's very bright and has lots of friends at school. Sometimes he's really quiet and I catch him just looking off into space. I wonder what he thinks about sometimes."

"I imagine he gets his quiet from his daddy. Just stay close and make sure he knows he can talk to you about anything. You'll be fine."

Michael saw them in the doorway and a huge smile broke out. "Hi Teresa! I had a operation!"

Teresa walked to the bedside and gave Michael a hug which he happily returned. "I know, your daddy told me. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes. I'm ready to go home but daddy said we have to wait for Dr. Sheppard to say it's okay."

"He's right. I'm glad you're okay. How about you and daddy come see us after you get home. We'll cook outside and you can play in the pool."

"Okay. Can we daddy?"

"Sure."

Teresa kissed Michael and gave him another quick hug. "I better get home now Michael, you be good and I'll see you soon."

"Bye Teresa."

"I'll be right back Michael." Jethro put his arm around Teresa and walked down the hall to the elevators with her.

"I wanted you to know, Dr. Sheppard and I had a long talk last night. Actually I talked and she listened. I told her about Beth."

Teresa was stunned; Jethro seldom spoke about Beth to anyone outside his immediate circle. "Good for you, Jethro. I bet she was very understanding."

"She was." He looked down at his shoes and put his hands in his pockets. He looked like a nervous teenager. "I like her. She didn't try to make it better. She just seemed to get it, you know?"

"Yes, I know. What are you going to do about it?"

"Ask her if I can see her again?"

"That a question, Jethro?" Teresa asked with a laugh.

"Not really. I'm just not sure about it. It's been a while you know."

"Just like riding a bike, love. Just be sure and give her your signature half smile and let her get a good look at those baby blues and you'll have no trouble."

"Geez, Teresa!

By now the elevator had come and gone three times. Teresa kissed him on the cheek and stepped into the open car. "Good luck and call me if you need help. And bring Michael to swim."

"I will, on both counts. Thanks."

Gibbs returned to the room and Abby and Kate left to go to work. Michael wanted to get dressed so Jethro got his clothes out of his backpack and helped him. When his phone rang Gibbs stepped out into the hall to talk to Tony about a case they had been given. After that he realized he needed to call the Director and let him know what was happening. He brought his boss up to date on Michael's situation and told him he'd be out the rest of the week.

"Take whatever time you need, Jethro."

"Thanks Tom. See you next week."

When he went back into the room he saw Michael had found some paper and markers in his backpack and was working intently on a drawing. He watched his son concentrating and smiled when he saw him stick his tongue out just a tiny bit. That was something Beth had done when she was thinking or concentrating on something. It pulled at his heart but made him feel good too. Just another little piece of his sweet wife that was now showing up in their son.

"Whatcha drawing, buddy?"

"It's our boat on the water. It's for Dr. Jenny."

"Dr. Jenny?"

"She said I could call her that. It's okay isn't it?"

"If she said so. You're doing a good job. I bet she'll like it."

"She likes sailing. She said so. Maybe she could go with us sometime. I like her, daddy. Do you like her?"

Michael was looking up at his dad, big blue eyes, a smattering of freckles on his nose and cheeks. He was so innocent and so sweet it made Gibbs heart clinch.

"Yea, I do, I guess."

"She's really pretty too and she smells good. And she has red hair like mommy's."

"Yes she does."

Jethro was having a hard time holding up his end of this conversation. Luckily for him, a nurse came in about that time with some paperwork for him to sign.

"Dr. Sheppard called down and said Michael will be going home soon. These are the discharge papers for you to sign. She'll go over them with you when she comes down in a few minutes but she said our young patient here is anxious to go so I thought we'd get started." She handed Jethro a clipboard with several pages for him to sign.

Michael got busy on finishing his picture while his dad read and signed the papers. Jethro gathered their belongings and put them back in their bags. He was almost as anxious to leave as Michael. Maybe not quite; he wanted to see Jenny and he was sure once they left it would be harder for him to get close to her.

About fifteen minutes after the nurse left, Dr. Sheppard walked in and found both Gibbs men sitting anxiously on the bed. They were anxious for different reasons but certainly both anxious.

"Well, it looks like you're ready to go Michael. The nurses told me you had a good night and ate all your breakfast. How do you feel this morning?"

"I feel good. I'm ready to go."

Jenny and Jethro both laughed. "How about if I look at your side one more time. That be okay?"

"Sure." Michael happily pulled up his shirt and turned toward his dad so she could look at his incision. "Is it okay?"

"It's perfect. You can put your shirt down."

Turning to Jethro she smiled that smile he was beginning to really like. She looked him over for a moment and noted he hadn't shaved and he looked tired. The no shaving was actually a good look for him but the tired eyes were not. His gaze never moved from her face and pretty soon it made her a bit nervous.

"Any questions about the paperwork, dad?"

"No, it's all clear. Take it easy for couple of days. Lots of fluids and come back in two weeks."

"Very good. Okay, Michael you're all set. I'll see you in two weeks okay?"

"Okay. Here, this is for you." He pulled his picture out of his backpack and handed it to her proudly. "It's our boat. That's me and that's daddy."

"It's beautiful, Michael. Thank you. I'll hang this up in my office."

She leaned down and hugged him and kissed him on the forehead. "You be a good boy and I'll see you soon."

She extended her hand to Jethro but instead of shaking it he grasped it with his left hand and stood up. Looking back at Michael he said, "I'll be right back and then we'll go."

He took Jenny by the hand, the one he was still holding onto, and walked to the door. Stepping into the hallway he turned around to face her. He noted with some satisfaction that Jenny had not tried to get her hand back. That was a good sign he thought.

Without any preamble Jethro asked, "Can I see you again?"

She met his eyes and sighed lightly. "Yes, in two weeks."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

"Well?"

Jenny had thought about this very situation for hours last night. This morning in her office she thought about it some more. Then she looked at her calendar and her surgery schedule and shuddered. She had no time for anyone else. She hated it but that was the truth.

"Jen?"

"Jethro, thank you for asking but no, I don't think so."

He was stunned. He was still holding her hand and he couldn't believe she had just said he couldn't see her. He tried not to give away too much but she clearly saw disappointment on his handsome face.

"I'm sorry, Jethro I just don't have time for relationship. I work all the time and when I'm not at work I'm thinking about the next surgery or the last one. I keep terrible hours and just don't have the energy it takes to be with another person."

Jethro heard her and understood what she was saying. In fact until she walked into his life he felt the same way. Now though for the first time in over four years he wanted to find a way to make time for someone else. His mind was working overtime to find something convincing to say that would encourage this beautiful, caring woman to give him a chance.

"I can certainly appreciate your schedule. I know what it's like to work all the time and never have an extra minute. How about we start small. Maybe coffee some morning or a quick lunch. Please, I'd really like to see you again. Outside the hospital, preferably."

_Damn he's good. Those eyes are hard to resist and I like how it feels to have him holding my hand. Why is he still holding my hand?_

"Okay, but don't get mad if I turn you down when you call. My schedule changes all the time and I never know when something will come up that has to be handled immediately."

"I understand. I have the same problem. I'll call you." He leaned down and gave her a quick, barely there kiss on the cheek and released her hand.

The happy look on his face was priceless. Jenny was pleased she had put it there. She looked at her watch and saw she was almost due in surgery. Suddenly she was worried about what she'd just agreed to. She took his hand back and looked him in the eyes making sure she had his full attention.

"I have to go, Jethro. Please don't get your hopes up about us. I'm terrible at relationships. I don't want to hurt you. Or Michael."

"You won't," he answered confidently and kissed her again, this time with a little more purpose.

Jethro watched her walk away and realized he had just asked a woman for a date. Something he hadn't done in well over five years. Actually, it was more like begging than asking when he thought about it. He didn't care though. He agreed with Michael; she was pretty, she smelled good and he liked her. Before his mind could wander too far down that road he felt his son's small hand slide into his much larger, rougher one. He wondered for a fleeting second how long Michael had been standing nearby.

"Let's go daddy."

Jethro scooped Michael up and hugged him tightly. He loved this child so much it overwhelmed him sometimes. When he relaxed his hold, Michael wrapped his legs around his dad's waist and leaned back a little. He put his hands on either side of his dad's face and grinned at him.

"Can we get a hot fudge sundae on the way home?"

In that moment, Gibbs would have given him anything he asked for. He kissed Michael on the nose and hugged him to his chest and whispered in his ear, "I love you Michael."

"I know daddy. Can we?"

"Of course."

"Yea!"

The Gibbs boys picked up their bags and hustled out of the hospital. Another crisis dealt with and put behind them. Jethro knew there would be others but for now all was right in their world and there was even the prospect of something new and wonderful to come.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here you go-special edition extra chapter tonight.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 5

During the next two weeks Jethro called Jenny three times but never got to speak with her. He left messages but they were not returned. He refused to be discouraged however. He remembered plenty of times when he was too busy to call anyone for days on end. Besides, he was going to see her tomorrow anyway.

Michael's appointment was for 10:00 so Gibbs took him to work with him and let him hang out with Abby until it was time to go. What he didn't know was that his trusted forensic scientist and his beloved son would soon be plotting to "help" him with Dr. Jenny.

"I'll be back to get you at 9:30. Don't bother Abby when she's working."

"I won't."

"He never bothers me, you know that. I'll bring him up to you at 9:30."

"Thanks Abs."

When Gibbs was gone Abby settled Michael in one of her lab chairs and scooted him over to the table. "So, Michael you ready for your check-up?"

"You bet. I feel good and I'm excited to see Dr. Jenny."

"Yea, she seemed pretty nice."

"She's real nice. And she's pretty. I like her and so does daddy."

At that Abby's eyes lit up and she focused her full attention on Michael. "He does? How do you know?"

"He said so. And, I heard him calling her the other night when I was in the bathtub."

"Really!"

"I guess she wasn't there. He left a message. But you know what else?"

"No, what?" Abby was really interested now.

Michael looked all around as if he was expecting his dad to appear. He leaned in close to Abby and said very quietly, "I saw him holding her hand and he kissed her."

Abby smiled hugely and hugged Michael who was smiling pretty hugely himself. He knew he had told her something pretty cool that she really liked. Abby was a lot of fun and Michael loved doing things with her. He liked it when she got excited about something and when she helped him play tricks on his daddy. It took Abby a few moments to gather herself then she took Michael to the inner office and closed the door.

"Tell me everything!"

Michael laughed. "I did."

"Where was this and when did it happen?"

"At the hospital the day I came home."

"You SURE you saw your dad kiss Dr. Sheppard?"

"Yep."

"Where?"

"In the hall beside my room."

"No, I mean where on her did he kiss her?"

"On her face. Two times." He pointed to his cheek.

"Does your dad know you saw him?"

"I don't think so."

Abby sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. She had to think. There was potential here she just wasn't sure what to do with it. Abby didn't have time to do much scheming. Before she could talk to Michael about it further, Ducky's assistant, Jimmy Palmer, came in the lab with some shell casings for analysis. Abby settled Michael at her big table with some paper and markers and got to work. Before they knew it 9:30 had come and it was time for Michael to go. He and Abby rode the elevator to the bullpen where Gibbs was waiting.

When they got to the hospital Michael held his dad's hand as they walked through the vast parking lot. Michael had been uncharacteristically quiet in the car and Jethro wondered if he was nervous or scared about coming back to the hospital.

"You okay buddy?"

"Uh-huh."

Jethro didn't think that was very convincing. "You worried or something? You're awfully quiet."

"I'm not worried. We're just going to see Dr. Jenny right?"

"That's right."

"Are you going to kiss her again?"

Jethro stopped dead in his tracks. Michael, surprised by that, stumbled to a halt. Jethro squatted down so he could be face-to-face with his son. Michael just looked at his dad, his face full of innocence.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Why are you asking about kissing?"

"I just wondered. I saw you kiss her in the hall. You like her don't you daddy?"

Jethro was incredulous. "You saw me kiss her?"

"Uh-huh."

Jethro didn't know what to say. He decided the best thing was to say nothing. It wasn't a big deal after all. It was just a tiny kiss. Nothing wrong with it. Nothing Michael shouldn't see. He stood up and grasped Michael's hand.

"Come on, we better get moving or we'll be late."

"Am I in trouble?"

Jethro stopped again and looked down at his son. "No of course not. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Are you mad?"

"No, Michael, I'm not mad. I was just surprised that's all."

"You do like her don't you?"

"Yes, Michael, I like her."

"Good."

Jethro was afraid to ask why he thought that was good. They hurried on through the front entrance of the hospital and took the elevator to the tenth floor. They found Dr. Sheppard's office and went inside. The receptionist took their names and told them it would be fifteen or twenty minutes. She said the doctor was running late. They were the only ones in the waiting room. Jethro settled on a small couch at the far end of the room and Michael sat next to him. Soon that wasn't close enough.

"Can I sit on your lap, daddy?" His voice was small just a bit shaky.

"You bet." Michael slid over onto his dad's lap and laid his head on his dad's chest. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." Jethro understood that. He wasn't much of a talker either.

"How about we talk about your birthday party instead."

"Okay." Michael brightened up a little but he was still snuggled tightly in his father's chest.

"Let's start with the cake. Chocolate of course. In the shape of a_?"

"Fire truck."

"Right. A fire truck. Ice cream and cake and what else to eat?"

"Can we cook hot dogs on the grill?"

"Yep. What about presents? Should there be presents?"

"Of course daddy. A new bike. And some swim goggles and flippers."

"Got it. Who are we going to invite?"

Michael sat up and counted off on his fingers. "Grandpa and Ducky. Tony, Tim and Kate and Abby and Jimmy. And Emily and her dad. And Aiden."

"Aiden's already gone to the beach so he can't be there."

"Oh." Michael was holding up nine fingers. He thought and thought about what to say next. He had one more person he wanted to invite. He looked at his daddy and thought some more.

"Anyone else?"

Before Michael could make a decision about what he wanted to do, the door opened to the inner office and Dr. Sheppard appeared in the waiting room. She took in the scene and smiled. She had rarely seen a father and son so attached to each other and so obviously fond of one another.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. You ready Michael?"

Michael slid down off his daddy's lap and stood up. He reached back and pretended to pull Jethro to his feet.

"We're ready."

Jethro smiled at her, "Hi."

"Hello Jethro. Come on back."

The birthday planning was forgotten for now. Michael knew he wanted to ask his Dr. Jenny to come but he wasn't really sure what his dad would say. He thought maybe this was one of those things he should talk to Abby and Kate about. He decided to wait. Maybe he could get them to help him make a surprise for dad.

Dr. Sheppard led them to an examination room and helped Michael climb up on the exam table.

"How have you been feeling Michael?"

"Good. We went sailing on Sunday and I got to hold the …. What was I holding daddy?"

"The tiller."

"Yeah, I got to hold the tiller. That's what makes you go where you want to go."

"That's sounds like a pretty important job when you're sailing. Let me look at your side okay?"

Michael pulled up his shirt and Dr. Sheppard examined his incision. "Looks perfect. I think you're all fine, Michael. I hope you have a wonderful summer. You don't need to come back again."

Michael looked a little disappointed. "I don't?"

"No. You're all set."

Jenny had avoided looking at Gibbs but now that her examination of little Gibbs was finished she was forced to look at his father. He looked much better in some ways than when she had last seen him. He was rested and tan and looked much happier and more relaxed.

He had been watching her the entire time and he very much liked what he saw. She was even more beautiful that he originally thought. He was more determined than ever to get her to go out with him.

"Michael, why don't you wait right here for a minute while I talk to Dr. Sheppard."

Without thinking about it Jethro took her by the hand and led her from the exam room to her office and closed the door. He kept hold of her hand and stepped up close to her invading her personal space. _Damn she smells good. I would love to get my hands in that hair and my mouth on her throat. Slow down cowboy!_

"I've been calling you." His voice was quiet and husky.

"I know. I've been very busy. I warned you."

"You busy tonight?" He reached up and brushed a strand of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Jenny was trying very hard to think clearly about her schedule but Jethro's proximity was making that extremely difficult. She tried to step back to get some breathing room between them but realized she was already up against the wall. _He has the most fabulous blue eyes. I could get so lost in there. I wonder if he tastes as good as he looks. I would love to have that hand of his touching more than my wrist. Get a grip on yourself, doctor!_

"You'll have to back up and let me look at my calendar."

Reluctantly, Jethro stepped back and let her move around him to her desk. He still had hold of her hand. She raised her hand and looked at him with raised eyebrows. Jethro just shrugged and held on. Jenny tapped a few keys on her computer pulling up her schedule. Jethro saw her smile very faintly and his hopes rose.

"If you promise to get me home at a decent hour I could have dinner with you tonight. I'm free after 7:00."

"Perfect. I'll pick you up. Nothing fancy so don't get all dressed up."

"Sounds fine. You want my address?"

"I have it." Jethro didn't miss the look of surprise on her face. He grinned at her and then pulled her close and kissed her softly on the mouth. He wanted to kiss her properly and let her know how much he wanted her but he knew this was not the time. Or the place. After all Michael was waiting and Jethro didn't want him to come looking for them.

"I better get Michael. I'll see you tonight."

"I look forward to it. Jethro, when you go out make an appointment for six months out for Michael to have another ultrasound."

She noted the surprised look on his face and knew she'd scared him. "Just a precaution. I want to make sure nothing has come back. I promise, it's just for safety sake."

"Okay."

When he stepped back into the exam room to get Micheal he found him unrolling the paper that covered the table. "Hey, buddy let's go. I don't think you're supposed to play with that."

"Oh. Can we go now? I'm hungry."

"Well then come on and we'll get some Five Guys on the way to camp."

Jethro and Michael left the doctor's office with Jethro completely forgetting to make the appointment for Michael's ultrasound. His mind was on the doctor and how nice that simple kiss had felt; he never gave another thought to what she said about a check up.

"Cool. Do I have to go to camp? I'd rather go hang out with Abby."

"Not today, she's going to be busy. Besides they're going swimming at camp today remember?"

"Okay. Can Abby and Kate come over and help me do the things for the party?"

"What things for the party?"

"The things you send asking people to come."

"Invitations?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why don't we just ask people?"

"Abby said she had some neat cards I could send. She showed me and it's a fire truck and you write on it. I wanna do that."

"Okay, I'll ask them if they can come over on Saturday."

Saturday afternoon was rainy and windy; a perfect day for Jethro to work on the boat in the basement while Abby and Kate helped Michael get his party invitations done. Abby had printed up fifteen cards knowing that would be plenty. She and Kate were addressing the envelopes while Michael "signed" his name on the invitations. They had invitations for Michael's grandfather, all the team, Fornell and Emily, Annie, and three friends of Michael's from the neighborhood. Michael insisted Abby and Kate have one even though they were helping him. He told them they could use it as a reminder.

"Okay, we have two left. Is there anyone else you want to invite?"

Michael looked around to make sure his dad wasn't in the area. After he was sure Jethro was in the basement Michael said quietly, "There's one more person. Dr. Jenny." He waited for Abby's reaction.

Abby and Kate exchanged looks and then looked at Michael whose eyes were darting from Kate to Abby and back again. Both women smiled at him and gave him a high five. Abby handed him a blank invitation and asked him if he was sure he wanted to invite her.

"Does your dad know about this?"

Michael shook his head. "It's a surpirse. He'll like it."

Kate wasn't quite as excited about surprising her boss as Abby was. "Are you sure Michael?"

"Yeah because he wanted to take her to dinner the other night and you guys got a case. I know he likes her. He kissed her remember."

"Okay but remember, she's pretty busy and she might not be able to come."

"She'll come if I ask her. She likes me."

Abby and Kate laughed. They had to admit Michael was a charmer and very hard to say no to. Michael carefully copied the day, date and time onto the invitation just as Kate had shown him. Before he put his name at the bottom he used an extra line to write; "Please come". Kate hope the good doctor didn't disappoint Michael.

In the next two weeks Michael got more excited every day about his upcoming birthday. His grandfather had called and said he was coming a couple of days early which added to Michael's excitement tenfold. While Michael was getting excited his father was getting frustrated. He had called Jenny four times with no response. Finally they managed to arrange to meet for lunch one day but before they could order she got paged back to the hospital. Between her schedule and emergencies and Jethro's job and his emergencies they just couldn't connect. Gibbs had never had this much trouble getting a date. Of course he hadn't tried to get a date in about seven years. He finally decided he wasn't going to call Jenny anymore. He hated to admit defeat but a month of trying to see the woman had resulted in nothing and he decided to take the hint and let it go.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Again, thank you so much for the alerts and especially the reviews. They are appreciated each and every one.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 6

The day of Michael's birthday was sunny and warm. Michael woke up at the crack of dawn and climbed up on his dad's big bed snuggling under the covers with him. Jethro rolled over and wrapped his arm around Michael pulling him close. He couldn't believe his baby boy was six years old. His mind wandered back to the day Michael was born. Jethro remembered it as if it was yesterday. Beth had cleaned house all day while he was at work and when he got home she was sitting in the living room waiting for him. She had simply said it was time to go to the hospital as if they did it every day. The labor had been short and relatively easy and Michael was born just two hours after they arrived at the hospital. Jethro remembered the look on Beth's face when he handed Michael to her. She had been ecstatic and completely in love with the child from that instant on. He was pulled from his reverie by Michael squirming free of his embrace and climbing over to sit on his stomach.

"Good morning daddy."

"Good morning birthday boy. How does it feel to be six?"

"The same as five I guess. Should we get up and get ready?"

Jethro glanced over at the clock. "It's only seven o'clock buddy. We have lots of time."

Michael laid down on his daddy and Jethro wrapped his arms around him. Michael mumbled into his daddy's chest, "Tell me a story about mommy. About when I was a baby."

Jethro rubbed his son's back and kissed the top of his head. This was not a surprise request but it still hurt. They often talked about Beth more around the time of special occasions. Michael had been asking about his mom more in the last couple of weeks as his birthday approached. Jethro was happy to tell him whatever he wanted to know.

After Jethro told Michael about the day he was born and how excited his mom had been, Michael fell asleep on his daddy's chest. Jethro just laid there enjoying holding his little boy and knowing these times would soon be a thing of the past. He hoped they would always be close and trust each other but he knew things would change and Michael would someday not be his little boy anymore. He thought about Beth and how she would have organized a great party for today. He also thought about the other little ones that would have most likely been running around the house by now. Shaking off those grim thoughts he instead focused on the party he was planning and the good time they would have today.

Abby and Kate arrived at eleven o'clock to help get things organized before the party was to start at one. Jethro had the grill going and the pool was blown up and filled with water. Jack and Michael had gone to the grocery store for a few last minute items while Tony and Tim helped their boss set up the extra picnic table and chairs. Abby and Kate had balloons tied all over the yard and a big sign in the front yard proclaiming Michael's Happy 6th Birthday.

By one o'clock everyone was having a great time. The kids were splashing in the pool, the adults were laughing and talking and the party was in full swing. Michael got out of the pool and found Kate refilling the chip bowl.

"What time is it, Kate?"

"It's one fifteen, Michael. Don't worry. Maybe she's just late or had trouble finding the house."

"Okay."

"Did you tell your dad you invited her?"

"No, it's a surprise remember?"

"I know. You go and have fun. I'll call her how's that?"

"Okay."

Michael ran off happily and jumped back in the pool. Kate cornered Abby.

"If she doesn't show up I'm going to hunt her down and kill her myself."

"Yes, and I'll make the body disappear!"

"I told Michael I'd call her. Do you think I should?"

"Do you have a number for her?"

"No, but Gibbs does."

"And what reason are you going to give for asking?"

"McGee can find it."

"Let's give her a few more minutes."

While Abby and Kate were plotting her death and disappearance, Dr. Jenny was parking her car in the street in front of the Gibbs residence. She sat for a moment gathering herself before she got out. She felt very bad about not connecting with Jethro and since he had stopped calling she was unsure about showing up for Michael's party. However, she was invited so she figured Jethro was okay with her being there.

When she walked up to the door she could hear the commotion in the backyard so she didn't expect anyone to answer the door but she knocked anyway. After getting no response she tried the door and found it unlocked so she went in intending to make her way to the backyard through the house.

While Jenny was working up the courage to go in, Jethro was counting heads for hot dogs. When he had taken orders from everyone he went in the house to get the hot dogs and buns. As he closed the fridge and started for the back door he heard someone come in the front door. He thought everyone was already at the party so he was surprised to hear someone walking down his hallway. He stepped out of the kitchen toward the front of the house. To say he was surprised by who he saw would be a gross understatement.

"Jenny? What are you doing here?"

He didn't say it unkindly but still, it wasn't the response she had been expecting. Jenny stopped and looked at him standing there holding two packages of hot dogs and buns. She was holding a brightly wrapped birthday present. They just looked at each other for a few seconds neither sure what to say next.

"I was invited to Michael's party. Didn't you know?"

The smile that spread across his face was a huge relief to Jenny. She relaxed and managed to breathe normally again.

"No, as a matter of fact I didn't, but welcome. If I had known he could get you here I would have had my six year old call you weeks ago. I'm happy to see you, Jen."

"Thank you. I just assumed since I received an invitation you would have known about it. I guess Michael sent it out himself."

"He had help. But he sure kept it a secret from me. Come on. We're all out back. I was just getting ready to throw these on the grill. Follow me."

Jethro turned to lead her to the backyard. When they got to the kitchen he stopped and turned back to her. "I'm really glad to see you Jen. Thanks for coming. Michael will be almost as happy as I am."

Jen actually blushed a bit and gifted him with the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. "I'm happy to be here, Jethro. It's good to see you again."

They stepped out onto the deck and Jethro pointed to the pool at the back of the yard. "Michael's out there if you want to go say hi while I talk to his co-conspirators."

Jethro put the hot dogs on the grill and turned that responsibility over to Tony and McGee. Then he went in search of Kate and Abby while Jenny made her way to the pool area.

"Kate, Abby, do you two have something to tell me?"

The two young women looked at Gibbs and then at each other. He was trying to glare at them but they noticed that for some reason it wasn't up to his usual standards.

"What do you mean boss?"

"About what Gibbs?"

"So, you want to play it that way huh? Okay. I just have one thing to say to you two." He paused just long enough for them to wonder what was coming next. "Thank you. Very much. I know you must have helped Michael with the invitation to Dr. Sheppard. Thank you."

Abby was grinning from ear to ear and couldn't form a sentence. Kate spoke for them both. "You're welcome. So, she's here?"

"Yes, she just got here. Whose idea was it?"

"It was all Michael's idea. He said you'd be okay with it so I'm glad you are."

At the pool, Jenny watched Michael splashing with his friends and waited until he looked in her direction to call out to him.

"Happy birthday, Michael!"

"Dr. Jenny! I knew you'd come." Michael crawled out of the pool and ran up to her. Before he could wrap his wet self around her, his grandfather intercepted him with a towel.

"Hello, I'm Jack, Michael's grandfather."

"I'm Dr. Jenny Sheppard. It's nice to meet you."

Michael dried himself off a little then gave Jenny a hug. "She's the one who operated on me, grandpa. She's really nice and daddy and I like her so I asked her to come to the party and she did."

"Thank you for inviting me Michael. It looks like you're having a nice party."

"Did you see my dad?"

"Yes, I saw him in the house when I got here."

"Was he surprised?"

Just then Jethro appeared behind Michael and scooped him into his arms and over his shoulder. "Yes, daddy was very surprised. It was a nice surprise Michael. But next time, you need to ask me, okay?"

"Okay." Michael was laughing and squirming so Jethro set him down.

"Go tell the other kids to get out of the pool. We're going to eat in a few minutes."

"Okay, daddy."

Jack spoke up, "So you're the famous Dr. Jenny I've been hearing so much about. I'm happy to meet you, Doctor."

"Call me Jenny please. I'm happy to be here. Your grandson is quite a charming little boy. And very smart too."

"Yes, he's all that and more. I think I'll go supervise the evacuation of the pool."

Jethro stood there grinning at her making her very self-conscious. Finally she couldn't stand it anymore.

"I wasn't sure about coming since we've had such trouble connecting and you've stopped calling."

"I admit I had given up. I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too. Now, stop looking at me like that and let's go join the party."

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly and when people started to leave for home Jethro was sorry the party had to end. Michael had a wonderful time of course and was a good host to his friends. He did get his new bike and goggles and flippers. Jenny gave him a really nice storybook about a little boy who sailed around the world. By the time the presents were opened and the cake and ice cream eaten everyone was worn out.

Tony and Tim helped Kate and Abby do most of the cleanup while Jethro and Michael thanked all their guests and collected the wet towels and pool toys. Jethro had come back from taking the last of the trash to the trash can when his team met him at the door and said their goodbyes. Michael was nowhere to be seen and neither was Jenny. He hoped she hadn't left already.

"Thanks for all your help guys. Have you seen Michael?"

Abby gave him a hug and they all started for the door. "I think he took Jenny down to see the boat."

"Okay. See you guys on Monday. Thanks again."

Jethro stood on the landing and watched as Michael showed Jenny the boat. Michael explained about the proper way to sand and showed her his daddy's tools. Jethro could tell Michael was very smitten with his doctor. He had never seen his son so at ease with anyone who wasn't part of his team or a long time family friend like Fornell. It made Jethro consider his intentions toward Jenny. He knew he liked her and wanted to get to know her better but he also knew he had to consider the impact of the relationship on Michael. Especially if things didn't work out between himself and the good doctor. So, he wondered was it worth the risk?

Jack came and stood in the doorway with Jethro. He watched Michael and Jenny for a minute then said, "She's a beautiful lady."

"Yeah, she is."

"You going down there or just looking?"

"Looking and wondering."

"About?"

"Whether I should go down there and interrupt my son and his doctor. Wondering if I should get involved with her."

"Well, why wouldn't you. She's beautiful. Seems smart and fun and Michael sure likes her."

Jethro turned around and stepped back into the kitchen. Jack followed. "Yes, he does like her. What if we start seeing each other and things don't work out? How is that going to affect him? I don't want him to get hurt. You see what I mean?"

"I do. Son, you just have to be honest with him from the start. Let him know you're just friends and nothing more. Until there is something more. Even then you don't tell him anything different. He's six. He has lots of distractions in his life that will take his mind off Dr. Sheppard pretty quickly. You need to think about yourself once in a while. If you want to ask this lady out go ahead and do it. Michael doesn't even have to know about it."

"You sure got smart in your old age."

"Glad you noticed. Now go on down there and send my grandson up. We'll go try out his new bike while you get better acquainted with the lady doc."

Jethro did just that.

"Michael, grandpa said he'd take you out to ride your bike. Why don't you go show him how good you are."

"I was showing Dr. Jenny the boat."

"I know. Why don't you let me do that and you go spend some time with grandpa. He has to go home tomorrow."

"Okay." Michael started for the stairs then turned around. "Thank you for my book. I really like it."

"You're welcome Michael. Happy birthday."

When they were alone Jethro wasn't sure what to say. Luckily, Jenny had lots of questions about the boat so they fell into an easy conversation about that. Of course the only question she really wanted answered was the inevitable, how do you get it out of the basement question and of course there was no answer for that one.

"Sorry, that's classified, top secret, need-to-know."

"I see. Well I guess I'll have to see if I can get Michael to tell me."

Jethro stepped in front of her and rested his hands on her hips. He smiled at her and said, "Michael doesn't know. I haven't finished one since he was born." He stepped a little closer and leaned into her just a bit more.

"I see. Well, I'll just have to think about how to persuade you." Jenny's hands came up to rest on his biceps. She was definitely enjoying the closeness Jethro was creating. She took a step back to compensate for his forward motion and found herself pinned against the hull of the boat.

Jethro leaned down and kissed her gently on the mouth. When she wrapped her arms around him he kissed her again. It started out as just a kiss but soon it was a lot more than that. Jenny shifted against him and pulled him impossibly closer. Jethro deepened the kiss and she welcomed his tongue into her mouth. Eventually they had to breathe but they parted only enough to allow air to flow between them. Jethro slid his mouth down her throat and tasted the point where her shoulder met her neck. Then he was back for another breath stealing kiss.

Jenny ran her hand up under his tee shirt reveling in the feel of his warm skin. Jethro returned the favor by sneaking his hands under her shirt. He was almost desperate to taste more of her, to touch every inch of her. He wanted her in a way he hadn't wanted a woman in a very long time. In the middle of another very urgent kiss his hands found their way to her butt and pulled her tight against his arousal. He moaned in her mouth when she rubbed against him. Jethro felt himself losing control and suddenly he stopped.

When he pulled back from the kiss, Jenny was surprised. She was very aware of the effect their activities were having on Jethro; they were having the same effect on her. She wanted to take it to the next level even if they were in the basement. Jethro rested his forehead on hers and they both took a moment to catch their breath.

"I'm sorry. I need to stop."

Jenny was unsure what had happened. "Okay. No problem. I should probably be going anyway."

"No, please don't go. Let me explain." Jethro brushed her hair back from her face and gently ran his thumb over her lips. It took all his self control not to kiss her again.

"I think you can tell I want you, Jenny. I just need to slow down. I don't want it to be this way for us. I want more than some quick sex in the basement. I want to spend time with you, know all about you and some day, soon I hope, make love to you the right way."

That definitely surprised and pleased Jenny. She looked into his deep blue eyes and knew she was in trouble. She wanted this man there was no doubt about it. She wanted to see him a lot and spend lots of time with him and then have wonderful sex with him.

"I can see all that happening. I like you Jethro, I hope that's clear to you. I would love to spend some time getting to know you and just being with you. As long as we don't put off the good stuff too long!"

"Amen to that. Thanks for understanding. I'm pretty much out of practice with the whole dating thing so I hope you can be patient with me. You're not the kind of person I can have a casual thing with. That's not what I want anyway. In fact, until I met you I didn't know I wanted any kind of thing. I was pretty content with being alone and raising my son until you showed up. Now I'm a long way from content and it's all your fault."

Before Jenny could respond, Jethro had his hands all tangled in her beautiful red hair and was kissing her senseless. He just couldn't help himself, she was a great kisser and he loved the feel of her body pressed against his.

When they finally broke the kiss, Jenny lightly punched him on the arm and exclaimed, "Whoa, now. If we're going to slow down you can't be doing that all the time!"

"Just couldn't help myself."

"Me either. I really do need to get going. I have patients I need to check on this evening. I had a wonderful time today, Jethro."

"Can I see you tomorrow? Dinner maybe?"

"Yes, I can do dinner tomorrow. Pick me up at seven."

Jethro walked her to her car. Michael and Jack were coming down the sidewalk toward the house so they waited for them. Michael sped up and rode up to Jenny's car.

"This is a good bike daddy. It's fast."

"I'm glad you like it. Tell Dr. Jenny goodbye. She has to go to work."

Michael got off his bike and gave Jenny a hug. "Bye. Thanks for coming to my party."

"Thank you for inviting me Michael. It was the nicest thing that's happened to me in a while." Turning to Jack, Jenny extended her hand and smiled at him. "It was wonderful to meet you Jack. I hope I see you again."

"Same here. Anytime you want to get away from all the busyness of the city just come visit me in Pennsylvania."

"I just might do that sometime." She hugged Jethro goodbye and got in her car. Jethro leaned in and whispered to her that he would see her tomorrow night.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: BONUS! This is a shorty so I decided to give it to you tonight too.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 7

Jethro took Jen out to dinner the next night. Michael stayed at home with his babysitter, Annie. He asked his dad where he was going and for the first time he could remember, Jethro lied to his son. He told him he was going to work for a while. Michael knew his father wasn't telling the truth; his dad never smelled good when he went to work but he did when he left that night. The little boy didn't mind because he was hoping his dad was really going to see Jenny. The same pitiful attempt at deceiving a very smart and aware six year old went on several more times that summer. Michael stopped asking his father where he was going but he didn't stop hoping it was Jenny he was going to see.

That first dinner was enjoyable but nothing earth shattering. Jethro was unreasonably nervous and Jenny found that very endearing. In fact, just about everything he did made her like him more. He took her to a small Italian place he liked and she enjoyed the intimate atmosphere. They talked about their work, Michael and everyday things that people who are just getting acquainted talk about. Jenny was a toucher so she often put her hand on his arm as she talked and she reached for his hand when they walked together. When Jethro took her home that first night he kissed her at the door but didn't go in. Jenny wasn't surprised but she was a bit disappointed. She told herself as she was falling asleep that she would be patient. She knew Jethro had a lot of reservations about another relationship and she vowed to let him take his time working out his feelings. She knew it wouldn't be easy because she already believed they would be good together but she told herself the wait would be worth it.

When Jethro got home after that first date, he sat in his car for a few minutes before going in the house. He didn't like not telling Michael the truth about where he was going earlier but he also didn't like the idea of Michael getting attached to Jenny and then them breaking up. He knew he wanted to spend time with Jenny but the closer he got to her the more unsettled he was about the future. He wished he could just treat her like a casual girlfriend and nothing more. If he could do that he wouldn't feel so bad about having sex with her when he had no intention of staying with her. Unfortunately for him, he didn't see Jenny in that light. He saw her as a special person whom he could not treat in a casual manner.

Throughout the rest of June and most of July Jethro and Jenny continued to see each other occasionally for dinners, lunches and sometimes just a quick coffee early in the morning. They were both very busy and often they didn't see each other for a week or more at a time. They talked on the phone regularly but that wasn't really very satisfactory given Jethro's reputation as a "functional mute". When they were together they communicated just fine but over Mr. Bell's invention they didn't do quite as well. Nevertheless, Michael had overheard his dad on the phone with Jenny more than once so he was well aware they were still at least talking to one another. Knowing that is what led Michael to ask his dad a special favor late in July.

"Daddy, could we invite Dr. Jenny to go sailing with us on Sunday?"

Jethro looked at his son over the top of the newspaper. Michael was sitting across the kitchen table from him eating Cheerios. He had a dribble of milk on his chin, his hair was a mess and his blue eyes were boring into his daddy's with serious intent.

"Uh, well I guess we could. What made you think of that?"

"I remember she said she likes to sail and I haven't seen her in a long time. Can we?"

"Sure I guess that'd be alright."

"Great. I'll call her. What's her number?"

Jethro was about to give out the number from memory when he realized his son had almost tricked him. He looked at Michael and wondered just how clever a six year old could be. Pretty damn clever he decided.

"I'll get it for you. Just a minute." Jethro made a show of going to the desk and looking up the number. He wrote it on a scrap of paper and handed it and the phone to Michael.

While Michael punched in the number, Jethro stood at the counter pouring himself another cup of coffee. He couldn't wait to hear this conversation.

Michael held the phone and waited patiently for his friend to answer. Finally, as he was about to give up she said hello.

"Hi, Dr. Jenny it's Michael."

Jethro wished he could hear Jenny on the other end but he had to settle for listening to Michael's end of the conversation.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"Do you want to go sailing with us tomorrow?"

"Yes, he knows. He said I could call you."

"Okay, here he is." Michael handed his dad the phone saying, "She wants to talk to you."

"Hello Jenny."

"Jethro, did you put him up to this?"

"It was all Michael's idea. I have to say though, it sounds like a good one to me. Would you like to join us?"

"Are you sure you want me to? You've worked awfully hard to keep our, whatever this is we have, a secret."

"Yes, I want you to come. I think it will be fun. We can pick you up if you like. Say about eight o'clock."

"That will be fine. I look forward to it. Tell Michael thanks for inviting me."

"Okay, see you in the morning."

"Yeah, she's going." Michael was very excited which made his daddy both happy and wary.

Sunday turned out to be a perfect sailing day. Jethro and Michael picked Jenny up at her house and by nine o'clock they were casting off from the dock. Jethro and Jenny shared some stolen kisses while Michael was sitting in the bow and they were amidships.

"Jethro, would you ever have asked me to go sailing with you if Michael hadn't done so first?"

"Probably. Eventually. Maybe."

"That's so romantic and reassuring!"

"What? I said I would have."

Jenny just looked at him and shook her head. He was impossible sometimes. She gave him a quick kiss and left to go sit with Michael.

"I'm going up to sit with the Gibbs male who isn't afraid to be seen with me."

She said it with a little bit of humor in her voice but with just enough seriousness that it stung. Jethro knew he needed to figure out where he wanted them to go but for the life of him he couldn't pull the trigger and go all in on this relationship. While he watched Jenny and Michael laughing and talking together he tried to make sense of his hesitation. It was nothing to do with Jenny he was sure of that. He liked her very much. She was everything any man could want; she was beautiful, intelligent, fun to be with and she didn't take herself too seriously. She had been nothing but patient with him and Jethro knew he shouldn't test that patience much longer. He watched the two of them a while longer and decided that just for today he would relax and enjoy life.

Jethro sailed them into a quiet cove and dropped anchor for lunch. Michael wanted to go swimming so he put on his life jacket and jumped over the side. Jethro and Jenny followed. Even though Michael could swim Jethro insisted he wear a life jacket when they were in open water. Too many things could happen too quickly for him to risk letting a six year old swim without one. The three of them paddled around for a while then went aboard to eat lunch and relax in the sun. Jenny gave the boys a coating of sunscreen then Jethro happily returned the favor. It was a good excuse to get his hands on her without worrying about what Michael was seeing.

After a while Michael said he was tired and wanted to lie down so he went below and stretched out on the small bunk. He fell fast asleep with a fan blowing on him. Jethro took advantage of his absence to get up close and personal with Jenny. The fact that they were wearing very little in the way of clothing was becoming increasingly difficult for him to ignore. He was kissing her and running his hands all over her warm, soft skin and she was doing pretty much the same to him.

"Do you know how much I want to get you out of that bathing suit?"

"Hopefully as much as I'd like to get you out of those shorts you're wearing. But, we're not doing that with your son a mere five feet away so just cool your jets."

"Spoil sport."

Jenny pulled back from him and ran her fingers through his hair. She loved to look at Jethro and out on the water with the sun on them and the wind blowing his hair he looked better than ever. She was pretty sure she was in love with this man and she worried about how much longer he was going to avoid taking their relationship to the next level. Despite all dates they'd been on, all the kisses and touches and whispered desires, they had not had sex. Jenny was beginning to wonder what was wrong.

"Jethro, we need to talk about us. Not here, today, but soon."

"I know."

That was as far as they got because Michael came up the steps onto the deck.

"Ready to head for the dock, buddy?"

"Yeah, my tummy hurts daddy."

"Told you that second sandwich was too much. Do you feel like you need to be sick?"

"No but can we go home?"

Jethro squatted down and pulled Michael into a hug. He brushed his hair back and felt his forehead. He didn't seem to have a fever but Jethro could tell he didn't feel good.

"Why don't you sit over here in the shade with Jenny? I'll get us home right quick."

Jenny took Michael onto her lap and he snuggled into her. Very soon he was asleep.

"You think he's okay?"

"I'm sure it's just too much sun and, like you said, too much lunch. He just needs to get home and cool off and stretch out on his own bed."

In less than an hour they were back at the dock and soon after that Jethro had everyone loaded in the truck and on the way home. He helped Michael get undressed and into the shower while Jenny emptied the cooler and picnic basket. Soon Jethro came downstairs and found her sitting at the kitchen table.

"He's probably already asleep. Said he feels better. Would you mind staying for a while just in case he wakes up not feeling good."

"I'd be happy too. Has this happened before when you two were out?"

"No. I think part of it is he was very excited that you were coming with us."

"I had a wonderful time, Jethro. You are definitely in your element on the water. I can tell you love it."

"Yes, I do. Especially with someone who also enjoys it. I love taking Michael out; he's a quick learner and someday he'll be a good sailor. And, I enjoyed taking you out today. I hope you'll go again."

"I'd love to."

"Jenny I hope you know I care about you very much. I always enjoy being with you."

"But?"

"But I guess I'm just not as ready as I thought I was. I don't want to lead you on."

"Jethro what is it you think I want?"

"I guess I shouldn't presume to know what you want. I only know what I want. I want to be able to love someone again. I want that someone to be you but right now all I can focus on is Michael."

"Michael won't be little forever, Jethro. One day you'll wake up and he'll be gone. I don't want you to be alone when that day comes."

"I don't either. I don't know what to say Jenny. Maybe I'm not ready for a serious relationship. And that's the only kind I can have with you."

"Jethro are you saying you don't want to see me again? Because if you are I don't accept that. We can go on just as we have been. I'm not asking you for a commitment. We both have busy lives but I like you and I want to continue to see you. I'm not a naïve young girl you have to protect. I'm a grown woman who can take care of herself and her feelings."

"I want to keep seeing you but I don't want you to expect too much, I guess that's what I'm trying to say."

"Okay, from now on I have no expectations. Except for one, I expect you to seriously consider how you feel about us and what you are afraid of. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes. Thank you for being so understanding."

"You're welcome. Now, I think I better go. I have an early day tomorrow. Call me?"

"I will. I had a good time today, Jen."

Jenny kissed him goodbye and headed for the door. As he watched her go, Jethro wondered how she knew he was scared to death to love her. He wanted to be strong enough to just let go and fall in love again. He could picture the three of them together as a family; Michael growing up with a wonderful mother and a sibling or two. That's what he wanted but he kept remembering the pain of losing two women he'd loved and he just couldn't bring himself to risk it again. Jethro knew he was depriving Michael of the chance to have a really great mom but he just wasn't ready to risk it all again.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks very much for all reviews and alerts. Since it's the weekend there may be extra chapters posted tonight and tomorrow. Enjoy.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 8

As the summer neared its end, Jethro and Jenny had the occasional date but unfortunately August was a very busy month for Jethro. Michael spent lots of time with Annie and other caregivers while his dad worked too many long hours.

During one of those long nights when his daddy was working late Michael called Jenny. He had found the number on his dad's phone and saved it for just such an opportunity. When Jenny answered she was surprised to hear from the little Gibbs.

"How are you Michael? Does your dad know you're calling?"

"I'm fine. My dad's at work. He works a lot right now so I'm home with Annie. She's downstairs watching tv and I'm in bed."

"Are you supposed to be asleep?"

"Yeah but I wanted to talk to you. I miss you."

"That makes me feel good in a way Michael. Tell me what you've been doing lately."

"Last week I went to my grandpa's for a few days. I got to help in the store. You know putting prices on stuff and sweeping. That was my dad's job when he was little. We went fishing too. And grandpa made ice cream. I had fun there."

"It sounds like a lot of fun. I liked your grandpa when I met him at your party."

"Do you like my dad too?"

"Yes, Michael I like your dad a lot."

"How come you don't come see us?"

"Well, I have to work a lot like your dad does. Do you see your friends as much as you want to?"

"Sure. If I want to see Aiden or Jacob I just go over to their house or call them and they come over here."

"Well, sometimes when we're grown up we don't do that as much as we did when we were younger. We don't just go visit our friends as much."

"Why not?"

"That's a good question Michael. I'm not sure I have the answer."

"Do you think you could come see me sometime? We could play cards again."

"I'd like that. I would have to talk to your dad first though."

"How come?"

Jenny laughed because she wasn't sure exactly how to answer that very sincere and very simple yet complex question.

"Well, because he's your dad and it would be best if I talked to him about coming to see you. I know it sounds kinda complicated."

"I think he'd say it was okay. He likes you too. I'll ask him if it's okay. I better go. Bye Dr. Jenny."

"Goodnight Michael. Thanks for calling me."

Jenny sat with the phone in her hand for a long time. She missed Jethro. They had not seen each other in a couple of weeks and she felt their relationship slipping away. She had a very big decision to make in the next few weeks and she had hoped Jethro would somehow be helpful in that regard. Unfortunately he had not. She worried about him working so much because not only was he in a very dangerous job, she knew he didn't like being away from his son too much. She tried not to imagine herself at home with Michael waiting for his dad to come home to THEIR home. It was something she dreamed about sometimes but she was beginning to believe it would never happen. Jethro just wasn't ready to rebuild his life with another woman. Maybe he never would be she thought. And if that was the case she knew she had to move forward herself. She asked herself for the umpteenth time why she had to fall in love with such a complicated, stubborn, wonderful man.

Michael called Jenny again several times over the next two weeks. One night he called and said his dad was working again. He was very excited to tell her he had jumped off the diving board at the pool and that he swam clear to the other end. He told her he was going back to grandfather's next week and he hoped his dad was going too. Michael told Jenny again that he missed her. He asked her not to tell his dad he was calling her.

"Why Michael?"

"I think it might not be okay. I know he used to call you a lot but now he doesn't. Maybe he's mad at you or something."

"No, Michael he's not mad. He's just super busy. I won't tell him but I think maybe you should. You know you shouldn't keep secrets from your dad. He loves you more than anyone in the whole world. Will you tell him you've called me?"

"Okay. If you say so. Are you mad at my dad?"

"No, not at all. I miss you Michael. Maybe I can see you before school starts. Would you like me to talk to your dad and see if I can take you out for lunch?"

"Oh yeah! That would be super."

"Okay. You tell him you called me and ask him to call me. I'll ask him. You better go to sleep Michael. Goodnight."

"Night Dr. Jenny."

The next morning at breakfast a very tired Agent Gibbs looked at his son over his coffee cup. Michael seem edgy and maybe unhappy about something. He knew he had been working much too much lately and that needed to stop. Unfortunately, his kind of work didn't follow any set schedule. Nevertheless, he needed more time with his son.

"Everything okay, Michael?"

Michael looked up from his cereal. He missed his dad so much when he wasn't home. He tried not to be sad because he knew it made his daddy feel bad but sometimes he couldn't help it. He loved Annie but he wanted his dad at home especially when he went to bed. He felt a lot safer when his daddy was at home.

"Michael, are you okay?"

"Daddy I have to tell you something. Promise you won't get mad."

Jethro wondered what the heck was going on. He had never known Michael to have any kind of secret or do anything that was really seriously wrong.

"I won't get mad. I promise."

Michael looked down at the Cheerios floating in his bowl. Without looking up he said, "I was talking to Dr. Jenny last night and she said if you'd call her she'd ask you if she could take me out to lunch before school starts. Will you call her? Please. I really want to go. I miss her. Please call her daddy."

Jethro was stunned into complete silence. He looked at Michael who was still studying the floating Cheerios. He tried to take in all the little boy had said and he was still clueless about what was going on. His son had been talking to Jenny? What the hell?

"Wait a minute, Michael. You were talking to Jenny? When?"

"Last night before I went to sleep."

"Jenny called you?"

"No, I called her. I call her lots of times when you aren't home. I miss her. She told me last night I needed to tell you because I'm not supposed to have secrets from you. She said she's not mad at you. She thinks you're not mad at her. Are you mad at her daddy?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Cuz you don't call her anymore."

"Michael, I barely have time to see you much less anyone else. I haven't called Jenny because I work all the time and when I'm not at work I want to be with you. How many times have you called her?"

"You said you wouldn't get mad." Michael looked up at his father with tears beginning to cloud his eyes.

"I'm not mad Michael. I'm just confused."

"You sound mad."

Michael suddenly pushed his bowl away and stood up. He ran out of the kitchen and Jethro heard him going up the stairs. Jethro scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He was exhausted from working almost non stop for the past three days and now he had an unhappy child on his hands. He had not wanted Michael to get attached to Jenny but it seemed he had all on his own. This was a helluva lot more complicated than he was ready to deal with today. He still had to go to work but before he could do that he had to go talk to Michael. Jethro put his coffee mug and Michael's bowl in the sink and headed upstairs.

He found Michael on his bed turned away from the door. Jethro could tell he was crying. It broke his heart to know he had let this happen. For a brief moment he wished he had never spoken a kind work to Dr. Jenny Sheppard much less let her into their lives. He sat on the side of the bed and rubbed Michael's back.

"Hey, buddy I'm sorry if I seemed mad. I promise I'm not angry at you. Micheal you know you can tell me anything and I won't get mad at you."

Michael turned over and wiped his eyes. Then he crawled onto his dad's lap and let his father hold him. The little boy wrapped his arms around his daddy and held on tight. He felt like it had been a long time since his daddy held him and he missed it. Jethro kissed the top of his son's head and waited. Much like himself, Michael sometimes needed time to get his thoughts in order before he spoke.

"I really want to go to lunch with Dr. Jenny. Please call her daddy."

"I will. I think it's nice she wants to take you out to lunch. Can you tell me why you started calling her?"

Michael kept his head on his dad's chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his daddy.

"I like talking to her. I was lonesome one night when you were working and I called her. She talked to me about stuff and I liked it. I wish you still liked her too."

"I do like her Michael. Why do you think I don't like her anymore?"

"You don't call her like you did before. You don't go out to dinner anymore. Why don't you do that stuff with her anymore?"

Jethro realized his son was smarter than he gave him credit for. He would have to remember that in the future.

"Well, I've been working too much lately. Sometimes grownups like someone but they can't see them all the time. It's kinda complicated."

"So you still like her?"

"Yes, I do."

"Are you going to start calling her and going to dinner again?"

"I don't know Michael. Maybe not. I know you like Jenny a lot and I guess it's okay for you to talk to her sometimes but not all the time. I know you don't understand all this stuff Michael but once school starts you'll be busy like me and you'll have your friends to play with and lots of work to do in first grade. Now, I will call Jenny today and see when she wants to take you to lunch. Alright?"

"Alright."

Michael was happy about the lunch but not about what his dad said about not seeing Jenny. He didn't understand but he didn't want his daddy to be unhappy either so he didn't ask any more questions. Maybe he'd talk to Kate or Abby about it later.

"Okay, I have to go to work and you have to go to camp so are you ready?"

"I guess so. Am I going to grandpa's tomorrow?"

"Yes, we're both going. I'm going to stay for two days and you are staying two more and then grandpa is going to bring you home. Is that okay with you?"

"It's okay. I love you daddy."

"I love you too, Michael. Don't ever forget that. You are the most important person on the planet to me."

After he dropped Michael at his daycamp Jethro tried to call Jenny but her assistant said she was in surgery and would not be available most of the day. He left a message asking her to call when she had time. The day went by quickly even with nothing but paperwork keeping his team busy. At four thirty Jethro told them they could go home and he would see them on Monday. They actually had a weekend off and each one of them had plans. Jethro picked Michael up and they headed for home. Since it was early Jethro decided they would head to Pennsylvania that night instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. They were almost to his dad's house when Michael finally asked him if he had called Jenny.

"I called her this morning after I dropped you off but she was in surgery. I left a message for her to call back. She'll call when she has time, don't worry."

"Okay. Thanks daddy."

"You're welcome."

Jack was pleasantly surprised when his son and grandson walked in the store Friday night just before closing. The three Gibbs men had a late supper then Jethro got Michael settled into bed. The little boy was disappointed Jenny hadn't called and Jethro was surprised. He promised Michael he would call her again.

When Jethro went downstairs to sit with his dad he told him about the calls and his worry about Michael's attachment to Jenny.

"Sounds like there's not much you can do now. Can you explain to me why you aren't going after this woman?"

"You know dad, I thought I was ready for a serious relationship but once we started getting close I just couldn't do it. I keep thinking about Shannon and Beth and I can't bring myself to let it happen."

"Well, I can't say I blame you. You have had two tragic experiences but I hate to think of you alone the rest of your life."

"I'm not alone dad, I have Michael."

"Jethro, he won't be around forever. Eventually he'll grow up and leave you. It happens so fast you won't realize it's happening until you turn around and he's gone. Not only that but I hate to see you put all that responsibility on a child."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't make Michael responsible for your happiness, son. You have to find it yourself. Of course, Michael will always be part of that but you have to have another life too. Just as he will have to have a life apart from you."

"I guess I never thought of it like that."

"Most of us don't. Son, if this woman makes you happy and you care for her I hope you will give her another chance. Screw up your courage and let yourself fall in love if that's where it's going. I agree with Michael, she's very pretty and very nice."

"He does have good taste doesn't he?"

"Takes after his grandfather."

"Yeah right. I think I'll take a walk. I'll be back in a while. Thanks for the talk, dad."

"You're welcome. Don't forget your phone."

Jack winked at his son and motioned for him to go. He knew Jethro wanted to talk to Jenny and wanted his privacy. He hoped what he'd said had gotten through to his son. Jack wanted Jethro to be happy again and it seemed like Jenny had been helping that along. Maybe things could still work out.

Jethro walked a few blocks and decided to go ahead and call Jenny again. She answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Jen. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Sure, I'm just doing some paperwork. Sorry I didn't call you back. Well, actually I did call the house but I got the answering machine. I was going to call your cell later, figured you were working."

"No we finished the case yesterday and Michael and I are at my dad's place for the weekend. Just drove up tonight."

"Good, I'm glad you have some time together. Tell your father I said hello."

"I will. Listen Jen, I know I haven't called lately. I'm sorry about that. I understand Michael has been keeping you up-to-date on the goings on at the Gibbs house."

"Not really. He just calls sometimes to talk. Mostly he talks about his day; he rarely talks about you as a matter of fact. I think he's not sure about us so he doesn't want to bring you into the conversation."

"Probably. I think it's great you want to take him to lunch so just let me know when you want to do that and I'll make the arrangements for him to be at home."

"Wonderful. I was looking at my schedule earlier and it looks like Thursday next week would be the best for me. Do you think that can work?"

"That would be perfect because dad is bringing him home on Wednesday and he'll be staying for a couple of days. Michael will be at home with him so just call the house when you are set on a time."

"Okay, I'll do it. How have you been Jethro?"

"Alright I guess. We've had some pretty tough cases these last two months and I've been away a lot. Sometimes it happens that way and Michael is the one who suffers. I try to explain it to him but it's hard. He doesn't like it when I'm not home when he goes to bed."

"Yeah, I figured that was it. That's when he calls me."

"Are you sure it's okay, Jen?"

"Yes, it's fine. But Jethro, what about the two of us? I think this could get confusing for Michael if we aren't seeing each other."

"I don't want that to happen, Jen."

"The confusing part or the not seeing each other part?"

"Both but mainly the not seeing each other part. I know I said I wasn't ready but I miss you. Can we maybe work on this some more?"

Jenny hesitated. She didn't want to have this conversation over the phone. There were things she needed to say that she wanted to say while she was looking at Jethro.

"When are you coming back?"

"Sunday night. Why?"

"Let's get together on Monday and talk, okay?"

"Sure, I'd like that. Seven o'clock at your place?"

"Perfect. I'll cook. I'll see you then, Jethro. Have a fun weekend and drive safely."

"Night Jen."

Jethro was encouraged but also curious. All of a sudden he was anxious for Monday to arrive. On the way back to his dad's house he replayed the conversation in his head a hundred times. By the time he got back he was feeling pretty hopeful.

The Gibbs men had a fun weekend together fishing and hanging out in the store. Michael loved helping his grandfather do things around the store and Jethro enjoyed watching the two of them together. He also enjoyed sleeping late and falling asleep on the couch after supper.

"Leroy, you have been working too much. I haven't seen you sleep so much since Michael was a baby."

"I know dad. It's been a rough couple of months. Sometimes it just goes like that; no cases for weeks and then bam, we get swamped. Hopefully that's over for a while. Thanks for keeping Michael for a couple of days. He loves being up here and it will do him good to be out of the house for a while."

"You going to see Jenny when you get home?"

"Monday night. Having dinner at her house."

Just then Michael came downstairs from his bath. He was wearing some new pajamas Jack had bought for him. He crawled onto the couch and snuggled up with his dad.

"Do you have to go home tomorrow?"

"Yep, gotta go back to work Monday morning. You'll have fun here working in the store though and grandpa will bring you home on Wednesday."

"Did you call Jenny?"

"I sure did. I forgot to tell you. She said she can go to lunch with you on Thursday. That works out perfectly for you and grandpa. I wonder where she's taking you."

"I don't know. What should I say if she asks me where I want to go?"

"Not Chuckie Cheese!"

Michael laughed. "You know I don't like that place. Where does Jenny like to eat?"

Jethro glanced over at his dad who was trying very hard not to smirk at his son. Jethro just glared at him over Michael's head.

"Well, she likes lots of places. She likes that seafood place down by the marina. If you went there you could have the catfish you like."

"Yeah, that's where I want to go. But if she doesn't ask me we can go where she wants to go."

"That's nice of you Michael."

"Have you taken her to the fish place?"

Again Jack was doing his best not to laugh.

"Yes as a matter of fact I have. But you go wherever you want Michael. She also likes Five Guys."

"I think I'll let her decide."

"Okay. Why don't we head upstairs and I'll read you a story before bed."

Michael went over to his grandpa and kissed him goodnight then Jethro scooped him up and threw him over his shoulder and headed for the stairs. Michael laughed and wriggled in his dad's strong grip. These were the times Jethro lived for; his son happy and healthy and still completely trusting of him. Jethro stretched out on the bed with Michael snuggled into his side. Together they read two stories then Jethro put the books down and scooted down in the bed with Michael firmly in his grip. The little boy yawned hugely and kissed his daddy goodnight. Jethro wrapped his arm around him and kissed him on the top of the head.

"I love you Michael. I'll see you in the morning."

Before he knew it Jethro was sound asleep right along with his son. Jack came up an hour later and turned off the bedside lamp. He stood looking at the two people who meant everything to him and thanked God for giving him such a good son and wonderful grandson. Jack worried about Jethro every day knowing just how dangerous his job was. He clearly remembered every time Ducky or Tony had called him to come to a hospital because Jethro had been seriously injured. That didn't take into account all the times he wasn't called because Jethro was conscious and wouldn't allow it. Sometimes Jack dreaded the phone ringing. Looking at his son now he prayed Jethro would find happiness with someone soon.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 9

Of course Monday morning brought not only a new work week but a new case for the MCRT. Jethro and his team spent most of the morning in the field and the afternoon working on leads from the Navy Yard. Jethro went down to see Ducky late in the afternoon. After discussing the autopsy findings the conversation turned to more pleasant topics.

"How is Jack?"

"He's doing well. Still working six days a week. Michael is there for a couple of days. Dad is bringing him home Wednesday."

"And how are you Jethro? The last couple of months have been awfully difficult for you and the team."

"And for you Duck. I'm okay. I don't like being away from Michael so much. He started calling Jenny at night when I wasn't home."

"Really? How do you feel about that?"

"I wasn't crazy about it when he told me. But really what can I say? He adores her and she talks to him and he feels better. It seems a bit odd especially since we haven't seen each other much lately but like I said, Michael really likes her."

"And you? The not seeing each other, is that by choice or circumstance?"

"Both I guess. I thought I was ready but I'm not Duck. I can see it being really good but then I also see it ending very badly."

"Well, my friend you have to trust your gut. It rarely lets you down."

"I know. I'll see you tomorrow Duck.

Jethro arrived at Jenny's townhouse before seven o'clock and sat in the car thinking about what he was going to say to her. He knew he needed to get his thoughts in order because he had discovered over the past few months that he sometimes couldn't think clearly in her presence. It was only his extreme self control that had kept him from taking her to bed so far. She certainly wasn't making it any easier for him to say no. Jenny had made it clear to him that she was ready to move forward and she wanted to sleep with him. Jethro simply could not let himself go because he knew when he did he would be lost in her and he wasn't ready to be lost yet.

Jenny had been ready for thirty minutes and it was still not seven o'clock. She realized she was very nervous. Maybe changing her top four times should have been her first clue. Or taking her hair down, putting it up and taking it down again. Or rearranging the magazines on the coffee table. At any rate she looked at herself in the hall mirror and told herself to STOP IT!

Finally the doorbell rang and after taking a deep breath Jenny opened the door.

"Hi, come in. You look good Jethro, rested."

"You look fabulous. I've missed you Jen." Jethro leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"Thank you. How is your dad?"

They moved to the kitchen where Jen had set the eating bar for them.

"He's fine. He loves having Michael there in the store helping him. He said to tell you hello."

The conversation moved easily as Jen got the dinner together and Jethro poured them some wine. They laughed and talked as they ate and soon they were finished cleaning up and headed for the living room. They settled on the couch and Jethro leaned over and gave her a proper kiss. She happily returned it and soon things began to heat up. This was where Jenny had decided she was going to draw the line. She had made up her mind over the past weeks that she was not going to get all wound up just to have Jethro throw them into reverse. It was too unsettling and honestly too hard to get over when he left her. Reluctantly she leaned back from him and put her hands firmly on his chest.

"Jethro, let's hold on here a minute. We've been down this road too many times. We get all hot and bothered and all revved up and then you call a halt. I don't want to do that anymore. We are adults. We are both single. I want you. I can't make it any plainer than that. Unless you are ready to move forward and by that I mean have sex, then I think we need to stop."

Jethro sat back and looked at his hands. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. He was so tired of being emotionally afraid but he didn't know how to fix it. Actually he was afraid there was something wrong with him; something that wasn't working right because here he sat with a beautiful woman who wanted to have sex with him and he couldn't or wouldn't make it happen. He wasn't sure he could say anything without breaking down but he owed Jenny some kind of response.

"I'm sorry Jen. I don't know what to say because I don't understand what's wrong with me. I honestly thought after I talked to you the other night that I was ready to give us a serious try. I don't want to stop seeing you but I can't promise I'll change anytime soon. Maybe there's something wrong with me."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you Jethro. You've been badly hurt twice and you're understandably gun shy. I can't blame you. On top of that you are an honorable man and you're trying to do the right thing with our relationship. There is something I need to tell you though. I have been offered a position at Boston Children's Hospital."

Jethro felt all the air leave his body. He looked at her and felt a sense of loss and sadness settle over him like a wet blanket.

"Congratulations. Are you going to take it?"

"I'm giving it very serious consideration. It is a prestigious position that will enable me to do some teaching as well as continue to operate as much as I want."

"Wow. Michael will be sad to hear you're leaving."

"And what about Michael's father? How does he feel?"

"He feels pretty crappy right now. He feels like he's letting a beautiful, wonderful woman get away from him. He feels like a jerk."

"Jethro I haven't taken the job yet. I want us to talk about it. I am conflicted because I don't want to walk away from something that might develop between us."

"I don't want you to turn down a wonderful opportunity like this for me. I mean I don't want you to move to Boston but you can't let what I say determine what you do. I can't make you any promises Jen. What if I never get myself together?"

"You will. I know you're not responsible for what I decide. I don't mean to put that on you. But dammit, Jethro we have something between us. You can't deny that. You are important to me. So is Michael. I've spent a lot of years pushing my private life to the background so I could be a top notch surgeon. Now I have that but I want more."

Jethro pulled her into his arms and held on tightly. He ran one hand up and down her back soothing her and pressing her ever closer. He didn't know what to say to her. By all means he did not want her moving to Boston but he didn't feel he had any right to try and persuade her otherwise. Why, he wondered, did life have to be so damned complicated. Just as he was about to kiss her his phone rang.

"Oh, for god's sake." Angrily he pulled the offending device out of his pocket. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Got a dead Marine, boss. Rock Creek Park."

"I'll be there in twenty."

Gibbs reached for her again and kissed her with all he had. "I have to go Jen. When do you have to decide?"

"Couple of weeks."

"Can we talk about this again? Maybe we can work something out. I have no idea what but I hate the idea of you moving to Boston. And I hate the idea of standing in your way. I guess I'm no help."

Jenny laughed. "No, not really. But thank you for what you've said, Jethro. I will call the house on Thursday morning about lunch with Michael."

"Okay. Can I call you later? Couple of days?"

"Sure. Be careful Jethro."

The case was not completed in a couple of days or even that week. Gibbs and his team were on a flight to Florida when Jenny picked Michael up for lunch on Thursday. She invited Jack to join them but he declined.

"You two go ahead. I'll see you when you get back." He walked around to the driver's side and said to Jenny quietly, "Michael is very excited to see you. I don't want to interfere with that. I would like to talk when you get back if you have a few minutes."

"I'll make sure I do. See you later."

Lunch was a tremendous success. Jenny asked Michael where he wanted to go and after some careful consideration he asked if they could go to the fish place he liked. Jenny was happy to accommodate him because she liked it there too. Michael talked almost nonstop all the way there telling her about his time with Jack in Pennsylvania. He obviously loved helping his grandfather in the general store Jack owned there.

"So, Michael maybe you will be a businessman like your grandfather."

"No, I'm going to be a Marine like my dad. And then a fireman. Maybe when I'm a grandpa I can have a store."

"Maybe you can."

"Did you want to be something but not a doctor?"

"When I was your age I wanted to be a vet because I loved animals. Then I wanted to be dancer and then a teacher. Finally when I was in high school I decided I wanted to be a surgeon."

"I won't ever want to be anything but a Marine. I'm pretty sure."

"I imagine you're right."

Michael had the catfish and Jenny the halibut. Michael told her about going fishing with his dad and asked her if she wanted to go sailing with them again.

"Sometime I would like to do that."

"Why don't you and daddy talk anymore?"

Jenny was a little taken aback but not totally surprised. She reminded herself that Michael was very observant and probably knew more about her and his dad than either of them realized.

"Well, we're both busy so it's hard to stay in touch. We're still friends though don't worry."

"But are you still going on dates and stuff?"

"Michael where do you get all your information?"

"I listen. And when daddy says he's going to work at night sometimes he smells good. I don't think he's going to work then. I think he's going to see you. Is he?"

Jenny laughed. The look on his face was so serious and he looked so much like his father sometimes it was eerie. "Yes, he comes to see me sometimes and we go out to dinner or for coffee. Is that okay with you, Michael?"

"Sure, I like you and so does daddy."

After lunch they walked around the marina admiring the boats before Jenny took Michael home. Jack met them at the door and Michael thanked Jenny for lunch. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I had a good time. Thanks for taking me."

"You're welcome Michael. I had fun too. Good luck in school next week."

Michael ran into the house to play and Jack steered Jenny to a bench in the front of the house.

"How are you, Jenny?"

"I'm fine Jack. Why do you ask?"

"Leroy and I talked a bit about your situation; you and him I mean. I know he cares for you but he's having a hard time doing anything about it I imagine."

"As a matter of fact I'd say that is accurate. We talked a bit about it on Monday night. Jack, I have been offered a very good position in Boston. I'm most likely going to take it. It is a very difficult decision because I care very much for your son and for your grandson as well. Unfortunately, Jethro isn't ready for anything even semi-permanent and I am not likely to get such an offer again any time soon."

"Congratulations on the offer. I'm sorry to hear you will be leaving. I'm afraid you're right though, Leroy isn't ready. He has been so terribly hurt by the deaths of two wives and a daughter. Honestly, I don't know if he has the capacity to love another woman. I know he wants to but it is a very scary prospect. He is a wonderful father but it was not easy for him especially the first couple of years. Michael is his life now."

"Yes, and that's how it should be I suppose. I told him though that Michael will grow up and I hate to think of Jethro being alone. It is very hard for me to walk away from him, Jack."

Jack took her hand and looked her in the eyes. "You must think of yourself first. Pray about your decision and you will do the right thing. And remember, nothing has to be forever. You could always come back you know. Stay in touch and you never know what might happen."

"You're right. Thank you Jack. I better get going. Tell Jethro I'll call him this weekend."

Jenny did call that weekend but Jethro was gone until late Sunday evening. When he got home all he wanted to do was spend some time with Michael. His team was still gone working on the case but they had each insisted he go home in time to take Michael to school for the first day of first grade. Of course he was happy to do that even if it meant leaving Tony in charge.

Michael was thrilled to have his father home in time for the first day of school. Jack had taken Michael shopping for some new clothes and shoes so he and daddy had to decide what he was going to wear. Then Michael had to empty out his backpack for the fourth time and make sure he had everything he needed. Jethro watched his son sort through pencils and crayons and paper and thought about how much he missed Beth. These times, special dates or occasions, were the hardest for both of them. Jethro knew Beth would have had a special breakfast for Michael and made a huge fuss over him. He put all that out of his mind and concentrated on enjoying being home.

First grade started off very well for Michael and by the end of the second week he was settled into his routine. Jethro dropped him at school most mornings and Michael went home with a friend in the afternoons. Aiden and his family had been friends with Gibbs and Michael since the boys were in preschool and Aiden's mom graciously offered to keep Michael after school. This was a real godsend to Jethro considering his schedule. Most days he picked Michael up by five thirty and if he was going to be late Annie got Michael and took him home. Sometimes Jethro worried that is was too much confusion and too many different places for a little boy to be but he didn't have much choice really. He hated the idea of daycare and Michael loved going to Aiden's house. It all worked out fine most of the time.

By the time Jethro finally took time to call Jenny her decision had been made. When he didn't call for almost two weeks she faced the fact that he probably wasn't going to say anything that would change her mind. She told herself Jack was right; maybe she could come back someday. But, in the end she knew what she had to do. She accepted the job and prepared to move to Boston. She dreaded telling Jethro but in reality she dreaded telling Michael even more.

He called late on a Friday night after working for two days without any sleep. It probably wasn't the best decision he'd made but in a way he knew he just needed to get it over with.

"Hey, Jen sorry I'm calling so late."

"It's fine. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Tired. It's been too long since I called. I expect you've made your decision."

"Yes, I have. I accepted the job, Jethro."

There was a long silence during which they both tried their best to think of the right thing to say next. Jethro had known what was coming but it still hurt to hear her say she was leaving. Even though he had only known Jen for four short months he had very strong feelings for her and he knew her leaving was going to be hard to get over. And there was Michael. He dreaded telling him Jen had moved.

"Please say something Jethro."

"I don't really know what to say. I hate that you are leaving but I have no right to say so. I will miss you Jenny. And so will Micheal."

"And I will miss both of you. How do you want to handle telling Michael?"

"I'll take care of it."

"I will be glad to talk to him if you want me to."

"No, I think it'd be better if I do it myself." Jethro wanted to get off the phone before he lost the very tenuous grip he had on his emotions.

"May I write him?'

"Sure, I guess. I'm sorry Jen, I'm not taking this very well and that's not fair to you. I need to go. I'd like to stay in touch with you if that's alright."

"I'd like that too. I'll write to Michael and include my new address and my phone numbers. Please, please, take care of yourself Jethro. Stay in touch with me. Give Michael my love. Promise me you will take care."

"I will. Bye Jen."

Jethro hung up and headed for the basement. He was profoundly glad Michael was spending the night with his friend, Jacob. After a solid hour of sanding on the boat he gave up and reached for the bourbon. He looked at the bottle for a long time before he took off the cap and indulged in a large swig straight from the bottle. He finished off the bottle and passed out under the boat for the first time in many, many years. When he woke up it was six o'clock Saturday morning. He made his way upstairs and after setting his alarm for nine o'clock, just in case, he fell back to sleep.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Just a short little chapter as a Sunday treat. At least one more coming later today.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 10

Michael was sitting on the front porch with Jacob when his daddy arrived to pick him up Saturday morning. After thanking Jacob's parents for having him spend the night Michael and Jethro headed for the marina.

"Where are we going daddy?"

"I thought we might take the boat out for a while. Okay with you?"

"Yea. Can I steer today?"

"You bet."

The rest of the drive was quiet with Michael occasionally telling his dad about something he and Jacob had done. Jethro was replying as needed but mostly he was thinking about what he was going to say to Michael about Jen leaving. He was dreading the conversation and he hoped being on the boat would help. Michael loved being on the water almost as much as his dad so he was counting on that making things better.

They had been on the water for about an hour and Michael was helping steer the boat when he turned to his dad and asked, "What's wrong daddy?"

Jethro just looked at him and wondered for the umpteenth time how his six year old could read him so well.

"I have some kinda bad news Michael. Dr. Jenny is moving to Boston."

He had thought about how to tell him and in the end Jethro decided the direct approach would be the best. He didn't want to make a huge deal out of it and he thought if he just laid it out there it would be best.

Michael didn't say anything for a long time. Finally he asked, "Why?"

"Well, she got a really good job offer there and she decided to take it. It's a good thing for her Michael. She said she would miss us a bunch but she thought this was a good opportunity for her."

"When is she moving?"

"I don't know for sure but pretty soon. She asked me to tell you she's going to miss you and she really enjoyed being friends with you. She said she'd write you."

"Can I call her?"

"Sure, I guess so. She's going to be pretty busy but you can call if you want to. Are you okay, Michael?"

"Yeah, but it's sad. I really like her. Are you okay daddy?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. You're right, it's sad but we'll be okay. Maybe someday we can go to Boston and see Jenny. Now, lets see if we can get this boat moving. Whatta ya say?"

"Yes, let's go fast!"

They went as fast as the wind allowed and by the time they got back to the marina Michael was exhausted. They went home, had a quick supper and then both Gibbs boys crawled into Jethro's bed and fell fast asleep. Michael cuddled up next to his dad and was in the same place when Jethro woke up at six o'clock Sunday morning. He lay very still and listened to his son's soft breathing. He pictured Jenny packing her stuff and moving away from them and it saddened him so much he could barely stand it. He wondered why she had come into their lives only to leave so soon. What was he missing? Was there something he was supposed to be doing that he wasn't? All Jethro knew for sure was that he had a son he had to take care of and lately he didn't seem to be doing a very good job of that. He was gone too much and he barely had the energy he needed to be a father much less a boyfriend or whatever he would be at his age. He gave himself a mental head slap and vowed to get back to where he was before Michael's accident; content and happy with the life he had with his son.

Summer came to an end and fall settled in with cool weather and falling leaves. Jenny had written to Michael shortly after she moved giving him her new address and phone numbers. He wrote her back as part of a school project. He didn't seem troubled by her moving and Jethro was relieved. They were both busy with work and school and things seemed to being going fine for them. By the middle of October all Michael talked about was Halloween and what he was going to be for trick-or-treat. He finally settled on a pirate and Abby helped him get his costume together. November roared into the Capitol with a nasty winter storm and Michael and his dad stayed home that day and played in the unexpected two inches of snow.

Jack came down for Thanksgiving and all the team joined together for dinner at Ducky's house. The holiday season was always difficult for Jethro and his team knew it. They normally gave him a wide berth this time of year because his mood often matched the weather; dark and cold. Even Michael knew his daddy didn't like the holidays. Each year Jethro vowed to try and be in better spirits but nothing really worked. Nothing except the arrival of the new year anyway. This year he had begun talking to himself about his attitude in late October but it wasn't working. As the days grew shorter and colder his mood became more melancholy and his temper, at work anyway, became more unpredictable. Nobody thought much of it; they were used to this seasonal occurrence and merely tried to weather the storm just like they did the real winter storms that descended on the nation's capitol.

Ducky took it upon himself to speak to Jethro about his mood late one afternoon during the week after Thanksgiving. It troubled Ducky that Jethro was not able to put Jenny's leaving behind him and be more attentive and responsive to Michael during the holidays. When the child was a baby it was alright for Jethro to not really celebrate but in the last couple of years it bothered Ducky more and more that his friend was not in the holiday spirit as much as would be expected when there was a young child in the home. Not to say that Jethro didn't do all the right things such as put up a tree and hang stockings and such but his overall demeanor was not usually very festive. And this year it was noticeably worse. As Michael's surrogate grandfather, Ducky decided he had to speak up.

"Jethro, thanks for coming down. I won't take too much of your time."

"That's okay, Duck. What's on your mind?"

"You. And Michael. And Dr. Sheppard."

"Duck." The tone was a warning but Ducky ignored it as he usually did.

"Just sit down and listen to me for Michael's sake if not your own. We all know that you are not a holiday person. We understand and accept that. I know you do your best to put on a good face for Michael; you always have. I suspect you do a pretty good job of masking your mood when you are at home because you are a wonderful father. But this year I see a difference in you. Dr. Sheppard has been gone for the better part of three months now. Have you been in touch with her?"

"No." Now the tone was part hostility part defensive and part defeated.

"You told me the two of you agreed to stay in touch and maintain your friendship. What happened to that plan?"

"I don't know. She hasn't called me either." This was mostly in a whiney, little boy tone.

"Jethro I know you miss her. It is painfully obvious to those of us who know you as well as I do. Why don't you call her and see how she's doing?"

"I have picked up the phone probably twenty times in the past month but I can't make myself call her. I want to talk to her but I don't know what to say. I don't want to lead her on or make her think things have changed when they haven't."

"Are you sure about that? How long did it take you to get over Linda? Or Carolyn? Or any of the other women you have dated over the years?"

"None of those women were anymore than just a date or two. They weren't like Jen. They were just nice women I went out with once or twice and that was all. There is no comparison Duck."

"Precisely my point, Jethro. Jenny is different. She is someone special with whom you need to stay in touch. I'm going to say this as plainly as I can, Jethro. One day in the not too distant future you are going to wake up and realize that Jenny Sheppard is the woman you want and need in your life. If you don't stay connected to her between now and that day, you won't be able to reach out to her when you are ready. And trust me, you will be ready."

Jethro scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. He looked at his closest friend and sighed.

"Okay. Let's say I call her tonight. What the hell am I supposed to say?"

"How about, 'Hello, Jen. How are you?' She'll respond and you go from there. For god's sake Jethro, have a simple conversation! Ask about her work, her new colleagues, her new home. Be interested in her!"

"I am interested in her!"

"Then I suggest you let her know that. If you don't you may find someone else does."

"You're right. I don't want that to happen. Okay, I'll call her tonight."

"Word of honor?"

"Yes, word of honor. Thank you Duck."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Jethro. Give Michael my love."

That night after Michael had his bath and was ready for bed Jethro went in to tuck him in and read him a short story. Michael climbed into his daddy's lap and snuggled against his chest. Jethro loved the smell of his little boy and the feel of his small body close to his. Michael looked up at his daddy and made up his mind to bring up the person he had wanted to talk about for a long time.

"I wonder how Dr. Jenny is."

Jethro looked at Michael and couldn't help but smile. "Have you been talking to Ducky?"

"No. Does he know how Dr. Jenny is?"

"No, never mind. What makes you bring her up?"

"I've been wondering how she is. We haven't talked to her in a long time. I miss her. You miss her too don't you daddy?"

"Yeah, I do. Tell you what, why don't we call her and see how she's doing. Wanna do that?"

"Oh boy, yes. Can we do it right now?"

"I think we should."

Jethro pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched in her number. As he did so he said to Michael, "Why don't you talk first. I think Jenny would like that."

Michael was so excited he had to stand up and walk around waiting for her to answer. Finally, he stopped in the middle of the room.

"_Hello."_

"Hi, Dr. Jenny, it's Michael. How are you?"

"_Michael, hello. What a nice surprise. I'm fine. Are you and your dad okay?"_

Jethro watched as his son's face lit up and his smile stretched from one side of his face to the other. No matter what else happened on this phone call it was worth it just to see that look on his child's face. He knew there was no one else in Michael's world who could have put that look of pure happiness on his face.

"We're okay. We miss you. Do you miss us?"

"_I sure do Michael. Hey, does your dad know you're calling me?"_

"Yes, he's right here. He called but he let me talk first. I hope you can come see us. I better go to bed and daddy can talk to you."

"_Okay, goodnight Michael. It was really nice to hear your voice."_

Jethro took the phone from Michael and kissed him goodnight. "Can you hang on just a second, Jen?"

"_Yes, go ahead."_

Michael got under the covers and Jethro kissed him on the forehead. "Night, buddy. Sleep tight. I love you."

"Love you too, daddy. Bye Dr. Jenny!"

Jethro walked out of the bedroom and pulled the door shut. "Hi, Jen. I hope it's not a bad time to call."

"_Not at all. I'm happy to hear your voice. I've missed you and Michael. How are you Jethro?"_

"I'm okay. Not my favorite time of year but we're managing. I miss you Jen. I know we were supposed to stay in touch but …."

"_It's okay. I haven't called either. It's been pretty busy here but that's not the reason. I just don't know what to say to you, Jethro. I think about you, worry really, every day. Are you really okay?"_

"Yeah, I'm okay. We've had some tough cases lately but everything's alright. Michael's getting excited for Christmas. Tonight, out of the blue, he asked about you. So, I thought we should call. He seems to be the one working on keeping us together."

"_He always has been hasn't he? Sneaky little man, your son. How is he doing in school?"_

"Great. He loves it. Reading like a champ and writing all his letters. Luckily he's got his mom's brains. How's the new job?"

"_Challenging. Most days I like it but I do miss DC. I'm really glad you called Jethro."_

"Me too. Ducky told me if I didn't stay in touch with you someone else might and then when I finally reached out you'd be gone. I don't want that to happen."

Jen was silent for so long Jethro began to fear he was already too late. His heart was in his throat and he had a knot in his stomach. He counted to ten and she still hadn't answered.

"Jenny? It's already happened hasn't it?"

"_No, god no, Jethro. It's just that was such a sweet thing for you to say. It means a lot to me to hear you talk like that. It tells me you haven't given up on us. Am I hearing you right?"_

"Yes. I haven't given up. I'm not there yet but I'm working on it. Jen, can you give me some more time? I know it's not fair to ask you but I'm doing it anyway."

"_I'm not looking elsewhere, Jethro. I'll give you time, just like I said I would. Tell you what, I'll call you next week okay? Take care of yourself and please tell Michael how much I enjoyed talking to him. Goodnight, Jethro."_

"Night Jen."

Jethro slept better that night than he had in a long time. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 11

The good mood lasted into the beginning of the week. Then a case came in that seemed to suck the very life out of the team. Jethro had to call Annie to stay with Michael Monday and Tuesday nights. He hated doing it but this time it couldn't be helped. He managed to be at home by midnight both nights but he knew how much Michael disliked going to bed without him there. Both nights Jethro found Michael in his big bed instead of his own. He didn't really mind; in fact it was a comfort to have his son there when he finally crawled into bed exhausted after an eighteen hour day.

When they finally broke the case on Thursday afternoon Jethro realized the week was almost over and Jen hadn't called. His mood, already not very good due to the case, turned sour once again. That night after Michael had gone to bed, Jethro retreated to the basement and poured himself a drink. He had not spent much time in the basement lately but tonight it seemed like the place he needed to be. He picked up a sanding block and attacked an unsanded portion of the hull. After about thirty minutes he felt a little better and had another drink. The phone beeped at him as he swallowed the second shot of bourbon.

"Yeah, Gibbs", he growled without looking at the caller ID.

"_Ouch, sounds like I got you at a bad time."_

Relief coursed through him in a wave. "No, I'm sorry. Just been a bad week and I'm escaping in the basement with the boat and some bourbon. I'm glad to hear your voice."

"_Wanna tell me about it?"_

"I'd rather hear your voice than mine. Tell me about where you're living."

"_Okay."_

Jen told him about the condo she was renting. She went into as much detail as she could in describing a small, two bedroom condo. Knowing Jethro wasn't much of a talker, especially on the phone, she stretched her description out as long as she could.

"Sounds nice, Jen. Any interesting neighbors?"

"_Couple of college students next door. They keep very odd hours but then so do I sometimes. There is an older lady just below me who is a wonderful cook. I smell some delicious aromas coming from her place on weekends especially. Somehow I need to get invited down there."_

"Sounds like you're settling in. Things okay at the hospital?"

"_Yes, everything there is good. Hey, how was Michael's check up? It was last month or the first of this wasn't it?"_

"Shit, I forgot all about it. I never made the appointment. What should I do?"

He sounded a little panicked and Jen was surprised both by his tone and by the fact he had forgotten about the check up.

"_It's alright, Jethro. Just call the hospital and tell them Michael was my patient and they can refer you to whomever took my place. The hospital will have his records. Get the new doctor to order an ultrasound. Or have Frank do it for you, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Remember, it was just a precautionary thing. I'm quite sure Michael is fine."_

"I'll do it tomorrow. And I'll let you know what they say."

"_Yes, please do. Are you okay, Jethro? You sound very tired."_

"Had a couple of very long days this week. And, I've had a couple of shots tonight. I guess I should go to bed pretty soon. I'm really glad you called Jen. It helps to hear your voice."

"_I'm glad I called too. Promise me you will take care of yourself. Call me whenever you want to, Jethro. Even if it's just to say hi. I don't want you to slip away."_

"I'll take care. You do the same. And call me too. I will call you. Night, Jen."

"_Goodnight , Jethro."_

The next day Jethro called Frank and he helped him navigate through the hospital to get Michael another ultrasound the following week. Jethro also told Ducky he had spoken to Jen twice and things were okay. He felt more than okay in some respects but less so in others. He knew he missed Jen and that he wanted to see her but he couldn't help feeling scared at the same time. He felt very out of control in some ways because he was afraid to really go all in with Jenny and at the same time he was afraid if he didn't he would lose her. He wanted his life to go back to the way it was before but then again when he heard her voice he wanted a life that was much more. Jethro hated not being in control and ever since he met Dr. Jenny Sheppard he had been anything but in control.

Meanwhile in Boston Jenny was busy with both surgery and teaching. She enjoyed the city but she had told the truth when she told Jethro she missed DC. She had made some friends and done some interesting and successful surgeries but there was no one who captured her thoughts like Michael and his very handsome daddy had done. She missed Jethro even more than she had thought she would. She was ready to settle down with a man and start a family. Jenny was sure Jethro was the man she could do that with but she wondered if he would ever have the courage to try again. When she talked to him she thought he did but as the weeks passed and he made no effort to see her to even to move their conversations beyond the mundane she was less sure of his desires.

When Christmas finally arrived Jack came down to stay with Jethro and Michael for a few days. It was the team's turn to be on call Christmas day but luckily they didn't get any cases. The Gibbs men had a quiet, happy day and when everyone had opened presents and eaten breakfast, Jethro snuck outside and called Jenny. He knew she was working because she had told him she volunteered since she was the only single doctor in the department and didn't have anywhere to go for the holiday. Unfortunately, he didn't reach her so he left a message wishing her a Merry Christmas.

Jack took Michael home with him for the week between Christmas and New Year's since he was out of school and Jethro was working. It would have been a perfect time for Jethro to invite Jenny down for a visit but the thought somehow never occurred to him. It certainly did to her and she was disappointed when she didn't hear from him all week. When a colleague, Dr. Dan Miller, invited her to a New Year's Eve party she accepted. Dan was new at the hospital having just moved to Boston from North Carolina. He was an orthopedic surgeon and had a quiet, easy way about him. Jenny thought he was nice and since they were both relatively new in Boston they had become friends. The evening was a lot of fun and when the ball dropped at midnight Jenny and Dan shared a friendly kiss.

With the holidays over, Jenny turned her attention to surviving the cold Boston winter. She was busier than ever with two classes to teach and three young interns to supervise on top of her surgery schedule. This left little time to dwell on the fact that Jethro had stopped calling. She too had not called but she had decided sometime between Christmas and the new year that she was not going to do all the heavy lifting in the relationship. If Jethro wanted to stay connected with her it was going to be his responsibility. After all, she reasoned, she had made her desires very clear to him and he was the one having problems moving forward. As much as it pained her to do so, she had reached the conclusion that Jethro Gibbs was not ready for the kind of relationship she wanted.

The year was two months old when Michael finally asked his dad if he could call Jenny. Jethro was reluctant and explained to his son that he hadn't talked to Jenny in a long time so it was probably better if he didn't call. Of course that make zero sense to a six year old. His much older father had to admit that it really didn't make all that much sense to him either. Regardless, he wasn't going to let Michael continue his attachment to Jenny when he wasn't continuing his own attachment. With each day that had passed while he neglected to call her, Jethro knew he was getting closer and closer to not being able to ever call Jenny again. It didn't matter though, he had already let too much time pass. He knew in his mind it was over but his heart still clung to a tiny strand of hope.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Since chapter 11 was so short I decided to give you this one too. It's kind of short too but important. That's all until Monday night. I have to go finish cleaning house and get ready to watch the Thunder beat the Heat. Thank you to all who are reviewing/commenting on the story. I do appreciate each one.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 12

As the winter drug on Jethro's mood darkened again. He was spending too many nights in the basement and drinking more than he had since before Beth came into his life. He knew he wasn't spending enough time with his son and it troubled him but not enough to make him change his ways. In a way he was powerless to stop himself. He was eaten up with remorse; the hardest emotion of all to deal with. He knew he had made a terrible mistake, he regretted it and there was nothing he could do, or so he thought, to change it. He had met a wonderful woman who wanted him and he had been too scared to let himself love her. He had cheated his son out of having a great mom and cheated himself out of a chance for happiness. Every night he sat in the basement with his phone in one hand and a drink in the other and tried to make himself call her. If anyone had asked him to explain why he didn't just punch in the number he would not have been able to answer. There was no real explanation. It was a paralyzing combination of fear and stubbornness.

By March the team was used to Gibbs' bad mood and didn't pay much attention to it anymore. They wondered about Michael but trusted that Gibbs was still the attentive, loving dad he had always been. Ducky, on the other hand, was growing more and more concerned. He knew the signs and he knew Jethro was drinking too much and sleeping too little. In his mind, there was no way Michael was not also aware of his father's lousy condition and was probably having to deal with things he had never had to before. This, Ducky could not and would not tolerate. As far as he was concerned Michael was his grandson and he was worried. One night in late March things finally came to a head.

It was a Friday night and Gibbs had worked a tough case all week. Michael had a rough week in school and his teacher had called to talk to Jethro about what was bothering the little boy. She told his father Michael seemed distracted and his work was suffering. His friendly, easy manner was now more guarded and he was much too quiet, she told Jethro. She asked if Michael had talked to him about any problems and he had to tell her no. He said he would discuss all this with his son over the weekend and thanked Mrs. Lyons for her concern.

That night he had asked Michael about school. All his son would say was that he was tired and didn't like school anymore. Jethro looked at the sweet, loving little boy across the table from him and knew something was wrong. He knew it probably had a lot to do with how he was handling himself lately and vowed to change.

"How about we take the boat out this weekend? Would you like to do that?"

Michael brightened a little bit. "Sure, that'd be fun." Then he added, "I wonder how Dr. Jenny is."

Jethro didn't answer for a long time. Finally he said, "I'm sure she's fine, buddy. Why don't you go get your pj's on and we can watch a movie since it's Friday night."

That brought a smile to Michael's face. "Okay but I get to pick it." He ran off up the stairs and Jethro cleaned up the kitchen.

Michael chose Madagascar II which was actually one of Jethro's favorites. They had watched it together at least ten times though and he found his mind wandering to what it would be like to be snuggled up on the couch with Jenny and Michael both. He realized in a rare moment of acceptance that he wanted to be happy again and he needed Jenny in order for that to happen. Equally important, he wanted Michael to be happy and have a stable home. Jethro knew he was a good father and he didn't doubt his ability to raise Michael alone if he had to, but suddenly he accepted the fact that he didn't have to. Not only that, he finally understood that the pain he was afraid of was exactly what he was already feeling and this time it was self inflicted. He had a way to stop it if he would just do it. Tonight, he decided, he would take the first step toward getting Jenny back in his life.

After the movie Jethro tucked Michael into bed and headed for the basement. He had decided he would call Jenny and at least say hello and tell her Michael was asking about her. He poured himself some liquid courage and took a quick gulp. He hit speed dial number five and waited. The phone rang three times and then a man answered. Jethro looked at the phone to make sure he'd called the right number and seeing he had, too a deep breath. He finally asked for Jenny but the man said she was in the shower and asked if he could take a message. Jethro said no and hung up. Then he swallowed the rest of the first drink and poured himself another. And then another and another and so on. Eventually the bottle was empty but not before Gibbs was too drunk to take himself up the stairs to bed. He passed out under his boat with Michael in the house for the first time since his son was born. That's where Michael found him at three o'clock in the morning when he woke up scared from a bad dream.

Michael tried to wake his daddy up but Jethro was too far gone. Michael shook him and called his name but his daddy didn't move. This had never happened before and now Michael was really scared. He first thought his daddy was dead but then Jethro rolled over so Michael knew he was alive. Michael picked up his dad's phone and tried to decide what to do or who to call. He knew it was the middle of the night but he really wanted to talk to someone. He thought about calling Ducky but thought it was too late since Ducky was old. Finally he settled on calling the person he really wanted to talk to anyway.

Taking the phone upstairs, Michael got back on his bed and called Jenny. He was afraid she wasn't going to answer because it rang so many times but finally he heard her say hello.

"Hi, Dr. Jenny it's Michael."

In Boston, Jenny looked at her bedside clock and saw it was twenty after three. She sat up and turned on the light. What in the world was a six year old doing up at that time of the morning she wondered.

"_Hello Michael. Are you alright?"_

"I'm okay. I had a bad dream and woke up and wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry if you were sleeping."

"_It's okay, Michael. Where is your dad?"_

"In the basement."

"_Working on his boat this late?"_

"No, he's sleeping."

Suddenly Jenny knew something else was going on. Michael didn't sound like himself. He wasn't telling her something. She decided to try and get him talking about something else and then come back to his daddy.

"_Michael, how did your check up go? Did you go have another test like the one I did on you?"_

"I went a while ago. I don't know what they saw. I didn't have to stay like before."

"_I'm glad. How is school?"_

"I don't like school anymore. I don't want to go."

Now she knew something was wrong. Something more than tonight.

"_Michael, does your dad know you're calling?"_

"No, he's sleeping. In the basement. Under the boat."

By the time he finished the last part Jenny could hear the tears in his voice.

"_Michael, please tell me what's wrong. I will help you but you need to tell me what's going on there."_

Michael was crying now but he managed to tell her what was happening. "I had a bad dream and when I went to daddy's room he wasn't there so I went to the basement and he's sleeping. I tried to wake him up but I couldn't. I didn't know what to do and I wanted to talk to you. I'm scared by myself."

"_Okay, listen to me Michael. I want you to stay on the phone with me. Don't hang up okay? I'm going to get my other phone and call Ducky. But I want you to wait and talk to me some more. Okay?"_

"Okay."

Michael's voice was so small and so sad it broke her heart. She wanted to strangle Jethro. She knew he had called earlier. Dan had answered for her while she took a quick shower but she later saw the number on the caller ID. She had planned to call Jethro back tomorrow. Jenny had been unreasonably pleased that he had called and was anxious to talk to him but had gotten home too late from the movie to call tonight. Now, she thought, I'm going to tear him a new one when I do talk to him. She was appalled that he would drink himself into oblivion with his child in the house.

Jenny quickly got her work phone out and called Ducky. Like any doctor would he answered on the second ring.

"_Ducky, I'm sorry to bother you. It's Jenny Sheppard. I need your help."_

"Jenny? What's wrong?"

"_Ducky, I have Michael on the other line. He tells me his father is asleep in the basement and Michael can't wake him. The child is terrified and crying. I was hoping you could go see what is going on. I didn't know who else to call."_

"I'm on my way. Tell Michael I'll be there in twenty minutes. Keep him on the line, Jenny. Thank you for calling me."

"_Michael, are you there?"_

"Yes. Did you talk to Ducky?"

"_Yes. He's on his way to your house. He'll be there in about twenty minutes. Let's talk about something fun. Tell me how your Christmas was."_

Michael had calmed down and hearing Jenny's voice calmed him further. He told her all about what he got for Christmas and about going to his grandfather's during his school break.

"_What's wrong at school Michael? I thought you liked first grade."_

"I did but not anymore. I want to stay home with daddy."

"_But your dad has to go to work. Tell me what else is going on Michael."_

"Daddy's sad all the time. He gets mad at me and he goes to the basement every night. He doesn't like to play anymore. He works late all the time."

"_Michael maybe daddy's sad but I don't think he's mad at you. Maybe he's mad at me because I haven't called him for a while. I'll talk to him and see if that's it, okay?"_

"Are you going to tell him I called you?"

"_Yes, remember it's not okay to have secrets from daddy. He won't be mad at you I promise."_

"Can you come see me Dr. Jenny? I miss you."

"_Yes, Michael I'm coming to see you tomorrow. But this is a surprise for daddy so don't tell him yet. Okay?"_

"It's a surprise but not a secret right?"

Jenny knew that was a small distinction but she also knew Jethro had had that conversation with Michael and he understood the difference.

"_Yes, that's right. A surprise is okay."_

"I'm sleepy."

"_Why don't you lie down and go back to sleep but leave the phone on. I'll wait for Ducky to get there before I hang up. Is that okay, Michael?"_

"Yes."

Michael crawled under the covers and was asleep almost instantly. Jenny could hear him breathing. Oh how she wished she was there right now to cause some serious bodily harm to his stupid, irresponsible, stubborn father! Jenny pulled out her laptop and got busy finding a flight to DC for tomorrow. She was going to give Special Agent Gibbs a piece of her mind and then they were going to have a serious talk about his attitude and behavior.

While Jenny waited for Ducky to arrive at Jethro's house she booked herself on a flight leaving at seven twenty-five that morning. She would be at the house by nine thirty. Given the current time and what she imagined Jethro's condition to be she figured there was a better than even chance he wouldn't be in very good shape when she got there. She didn't much care; she was planning to kill him anyway. Jenny called Ducky who was just pulling into Jethro's driveway when his phone beeped.

"Jenny, I'm just arriving at the house. Let me go in and check on Michael and I will call you right back."

"_He has the phone still on. He's in his bed asleep."_

Ducky used his key and entered the house. He went straight to Michael's room and found him sound asleep cradling the phone to his ear. Ducky gently removed the phone and stepped into the hall to speak to Jenny.

"He's asleep as you said. I'm undecided as to what to do; take him home with me or let him sleep here. I hate to disturb him further but I don't want him here when I confront his father. What do you suggest?"

"_Take him home with you Ducky. Leave Jethro a note telling him you'll be back by ten o'clock and telling him not to come to for Michael; that you'll bring him home then. I will be there on the early flight that gets into National at nine o'clock. I'll go to the house and take care of Agent Gibbs myself. Can I call you to dispose of the body?"_

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ducky had to laugh. This woman was exactly who and what Jethro needed in his life. He hoped she could get through to him this time.

"You may. Do you have any idea what happened tonight, my dear?"

"_I think so. Jethro called earlier and a friend, a male friend, was here and answered the phone while I was in the shower. I' m sure Jethro assumed this man was someone I'm seeing. In truth, Dan is a colleague and friend but not a lover. I am not interested in anyone except Jethro having that role in my life. I have left our relationship in his hands and obviously he isn't up to the task. I plan to get this straightened out tomorrow. Thank you Ducky."_

"I am the one who thanks you, Jenny. You are the person Jethro needs and hopefully he will admit that sooner rather than later. Now, I must get my note written and get this little boy out of here. We'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight, Jenny."

Ducky found pen and paper on Michael's dresser and quickly wrote Jethro the note Jenny suggested. He found tape and took the note to the basement where he posted it on the door frame where Jethro would be most likely to see it. He looked down at his friend and determined even from a distance he was breathing steadily. Ducky noted the empty Jack Daniels bottle on the workbench. He looked at his friend for a few moments and said a quick prayer that Dr. Sheppard could get him back in order. Ducky loved Jethro like a son and it pained him to see him so unhappy. Of course, Jethro had already had more sadness in his lifetime than he deserved but until now he had always been able to pull himself through the darkness and not get caught up in it.

Ducky managed to get Michael awake enough to get him to the car. He explained that his daddy wasn't feeling well and Ducky was taking him home so his dad could rest tomorrow. Michael didn't ask any question; he just nodded and went to the car with Ducky. He didn't say anything until they got to the house and went inside.

"Ducky, is my daddy okay?"

"Yes, Michael, I promise, he is okay. He had too much to drink and sometimes that makes a person not feel very good and need to sleep. He will be fine in the morning. Dr. Sheppard is going to go check on him and then I bet he comes right over here to get you."

"Why did you bring me to your house?"

"Because when your daddy wakes up he won't feel very good and I didn't want you to have to take care of him. Has this ever happened before Michael?"

"You mean daddy sleeping in the basement?"

"Yes, and you not being able to wake him up?"

"No, usually he wakes right up. That's why I got scared and called Dr. Jenny. Is my daddy going to be mad 'cos I called her?"

"No, he won't be mad. In fact, since she's coming to see him and you, I think he will be glad you called her. Now, come on and let's get you settled back in bed. It's much too early for us to be up and awake."

Ducky got Michael settled and asleep in the guest room then retired to his own room for a few hours sleep. He fell asleep wishing he could be a fly on the wall when Jenny Sheppard arrived at the Gibbs household in a few hours. He had a feeling that was going to be worth seeing and hearing.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

AN: For those of you waiting all day...sorry. Things got in the way but here it is. It's a long one but I figure you guys can handle it. I sincerely appreciate all your wonderful comments and alerts.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 13

Jenny was pacing in the airport long before her flight was due to leave. She imagined about half a dozen different conversations with Jethro but since she hadn't spoken to him in several months she wasn't really sure how this "surprise" would go over. At this point though she was still so upset with him that she didn't really care if he was glad to see her or not. She knew she loved him and somehow she was going to get him to either admit he loved her too or she was going to end it for good. She was tired of waiting for him to get himself together. After thinking about it nonstop for the past three hours she had concluded that Jethro was one of those persons who sometimes was too stubborn for his own good.

Thinking about Jethro as a father, Jenny knew he was going to be devastated by what he had done to Michael. She was quite sure he never intended to get so drunk he passed out. He would never put Michael in any danger intentionally and yet, the bottom line was that if something had happened to Michael his father would not have been able to help him. Whenever Jenny thought about that and about Michael's small, tear filled voice on the phone she got angry all over again. That anger allowed her to stop feeling sorry for Jethro and set aside her worries about how he was going to feel about what he had done. By the time her plane landed Jenny was exhausted; not from the lack of sleep but more from the tumult of emotions she was experiencing. She had always thought that when she came back to see Jethro and Michael it would be a joyous, fun occasion. Not this time she mused ruefully as she hailed a cab and headed for the house.

Surprisingly when Jenny's plane landed Jethro was still passed out in the basement. Normally, he would not have slept anywhere near as late as nine o'clock but the combination of being drunk and being both physically and emotionally exhausted from the past week of long days and nights was enough to keep him knocked out. He began to stir about the time Jenny's cab was coming around the corner at the end of his block. When Jenny closed the car door and headed for the front door that Ducky had conveniently left unlocked, Maggie was headed down the stairs looking for her master. She nudged Jethro and when he didn't move she licked his hand and then his face trying to get his attention. Not getting the response she wanted she was easily distracted by the front door opening and she loped up the stairs in hopes of someone letting her outside.

Jenny stepped into the house and noted the stillness and the absence of the aroma of coffee so she knew Jethro was not yet up and moving. As she was registering that information, Maggie bounded up to her and barked happily. Jenny took her to the back door and let her out. Then she found the coffee and started a pot brewing. She was still unsure as to exactly how she wanted to let Jethro know she was there but she was leaning towards letting him discover her in the kitchen.

In the basement, Jethro was slowly waking up. He thought Maggie had been down there licking him but decided she must have gone off to find Michael. When that thought had gone through his head he bolted up and realized he had been passed out all night. He looked out the basement window and saw it was full daylight. Glancing at the clock over the workbench he was shocked to see it was almost ten o'clock. Then the eerie stillness of the house swept over him.

Michael! Where was Michael? Why hadn't he come down to wake him up? Jethro got up and ran up the stairs. He found Ducky's note at the same instant his nose caught the aroma of fresh coffee. He didn't think Michael knew how to make coffee but maybe he did. Then he read the note.

_Jethro, Michael is with me at my house. You have been passed out for hours. He is fine. I will bring him home after 10:00 and you and I will talk. Please do not come for him; I will bring him to you._

_Ducky_

What the hell was going on? Jethro was confused and furious at the same time. What was Ducky doing taking Michael out of the house. Jethro knew he had been awake at midnight. He couldn't figure out what the hell was happening. Then he sniffed the coffee and suddenly realized Michael didn't start the coffee maker. Jethro finally stepped off the basement landing and into the kitchen. What or rather who he saw sitting at the breakfast bar stunned him so he was stopped dead in his tracks and didn't know what to say.

Jenny just sat there looking at him for the longest time. She took in the haggard look, the weight loss and the complete surprise on his face. Pretty much what she'd expected.

"Hello, Jethro."

"Jenny? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to find out what the hell is wrong with you and figure out how we're going to either fix it or put you out of your misery."

Jethro was suddenly defensive and angry. He had a terrible hangover, his son was gone and now the woman he thought he might be in love with was sitting in his kitchen with a very bad attitude.

"Let me rephrase the question. What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?"

She heard the anger and recognized the defensiveness but it didn't phase her.

"Why don't you have some coffee, Jethro. I'm sure you could use it. And three or four aspirins. After all you drank a bottle of Jack last night and then passed out in your basement. While your six year old was upstairs asleep I might add. Asleep that is until about three o'clock when a bad dream woke him up and he went looking for his daddy to comfort him. Guess what he found. His daddy passed out in the basement, so drunk he couldn't wake up to take care of his child."

Jethro had taken a seat during her tirade and now he covered his face with his hands. "Shit. What have I done?"

"Oh I'm not finished yet mister. Not by a long shot. That same little boy, scared by a bad dream and then by the fact that his big, strong daddy wouldn't wake up, got on the phone and called me. He didn't want to tell me at first what was going on but when he started crying I managed to get it out of him. I hope to god you are as ashamed of yourself as I am of you, Jethro. What if something had happened to him? What if he was sick? What if…"

Angrily Jethro stood up and shouted, "Okay, I get your point! I screwed up. I know that. In fact, I knew it when I woke up in the damned basement. I sure as hell don't need you to tell me! So, again, what the hell are you doing here Jenny?"

Her anger spent, Jenny said in a quiet, calm voice, "I'm here because I love you Jethro." She watched his face soften and saw his fury dying and she was glad. "And because I knew when Michael called that something was terribly wrong or you would never have let this happen. And because some of it at least is my fault. I've neglected our relationship and let things go too long without some resolution. That ends today, Jethro. One way or another."

Jenny stood up and went to him. He was standing by the counter watching her but not moving a muscle. She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around him and he reciprocated. When she began rubbing his back, Jethro leaned in to her and hugged her fiercely and cried.

"It's alright, Jethro. Michael is fine. You can fix this. You are a wonderful father and even the best dads make mistakes. Michael knows you love him more than anything and you can fix this."

Jethro straightened up and wiped his eyes. He looked at Jenny and knew exactly what he needed and wanted to do.

"Jen, I…"

She silenced him with a gentle kiss. "I don't want you to say anything until you've had coffee and food. Go take a long, hot shower while I fix you some breakfast. Then we'll talk and then you go get your son."

Jethro kissed her on the forehead, "Okay. Thank you Jenny."

"You're welcome. Now, go on before I decide to kill you instead of feed you."

While Jethro trudged up the stairs, Jenny rummaged in the fridge and got out breakfast items. She smiled to herself when she thought about the look on Jethro's face when she said she loved him. He was obviously surprised and just as obviously didn't know what to say. She hadn't meant to say that, it just came out and now she was glad it had. She'd meant it too when she'd taken some responsibility for what Jethro was going through. Jenny had known for a while she was in love with him and she should have told him so weeks ago. Maybe then he could have figured out what he wanted or at least what he was willing to risk. Well, today would decide it for all of them. She'd told him the truth when she said they would settle things one way or another today.

Before he got in the shower, Jethro sat down on his bed and called Ducky. He didn't want to let another minute pass before he talked to Michael and made sure he was alright.

"Duck, could I speak to Michael please?"

"Yes, just a moment. Are you alright, Jethro?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. At least I will be when I get this straightened out with Michael. And with you, my friend. I'm sorry Duck. I know that's not enough but it's all I have right now."

"I understand and I accept your apology. Of course I'm not really the one who needs to hear it. Is anyone with you?"

"Yes, Jenny's here. I suspect you knew she was coming. Did she call you last night?"

"She did. Work it out Jethro. Here's Michael."

"Hi daddy. Are you okay?"

Jethro had to take a deep breath. Michael's voice was so small and quiet it broke his heart to know what he had let happen.

"Yes, I'm fine, I promise. I'm very sorry about last night Michael. I'll talk to you about it when I come get you but I wanted to tell you that much right now. I love you more than anything Michael and I'm so sorry you were scared last night and I wasn't there for you."

"It's okay daddy. I'm okay now. Did you have any surprises today?"

"I sure did. One I think you'll like too. Jenny and I are going to have breakfast and talk a little bit and then we'll come get you. I love you buddy."

"I love you too. Bye daddy."

Jethro turned on the water as hot as he could stand it and let the steam help flush his system. As he let the water beat down on his head he accepted the fact that he was in love with Jenny and had to make a decision today about what he was going to do with that realization. He understood very clearly that she had been telling the truth when she said they would settle things one way or another today. He knew what he wanted that outcome to be and since she had said she loved him he was fairly confident she wanted the same thing. He couldn't believe she was actually here, in his kitchen, cooking his breakfast. When he drank himself blind last night the farthest thing from his mind was the possibility he would have another chance with Jenny much less have her here when he woke up.

As Jenny was arranging eggs, bacon and toast on a plate, Jethro appeared in the kitchen looking worlds better than when he'd left twenty minutes before.

"You look much better. How do you feel?"

"Like the luckiest man in the world. I can't believe you're really here Jen. I don't know what to say except thank you and I'm sorry."

"I was so angry with you last night, or rather this morning, when Michael called that I wanted to strangle you with my bare hands. I had to be here in order to do that so here I am."

"And yet you're feeding me. Why the change of heart? Or should I be concerned about food poisoning?"

"The food is perfectly safe. If I kill you it raises all sorts of problems I'd rather not deal with. Besides, I love you."

"You keep saying that. I admit I like hearing it but I have a hard time understanding it."

"Why?"

"Because I've pretty much ignored you for months. I didn't call like I said I would. I never tell you how I feel about you. Generally, I'm pretty much a failure in this relationship."

"All true. Lucky for you I was in love with you before I moved to Boston. I should have told you then but I wanted you to figure out your own feelings without any pressure from me. When Michael called last night I realized you weren't getting it together and I decided to help you along. I know you have feelings for me Jethro. Before I leave here I need to know what those are and what you're willing to do about them."

Jethro swallowed the last bite of his breakfast and washed it down with the orange juice Jenny had poured for him. He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips kissing her knuckles.

"I'll clean up in here. Will you wait for me in the living room?"

"Yes. Do you want to call Michael before we talk?"

"I already did. I told him we'd be over to get him after while. He's fine with Ducky."

When the kitchen was clean and dishwasher running, Jethro poured himself the last cup of coffee and took several deep breaths. He was about to have the most important conversation of his life and he wanted to be sure he got it right. Talking about his feelings and desires and dreams was not something he was comfortable with or very good at but when he thought back to that night with Michael in the hospital, he realized it had been easier with Jenny right from the start. Beth had been able to read his mind and she put up with his inability to verbalize. By the time she died he had been able to tell her anything and everything. He had learned to open up with her but when she was gone he shut down all his emotions except those he reserved for Michael. Now there was a woman in his house that he wanted to open up with. He wanted to let her in, wanted to trust her, wanted to love her.

Jenny was beginning to wonder what was taking him so long when Jethro finally appeared in the living room. He sat down on the couch next to her and took her hand in his. He didn't speak but Jenny was determined to be patient and let him move at his own pace. For a while anyway.

"I don't know where to start, Jen."

"Tell me what happened last night."

"I called you and a guy answered."

"Yes."

"Who was he?"

"His name is Dan Miller. He's a colleague and a friend. Not a lover. Not a boyfriend. He is someone I enjoy going to dinner and movies with when we have the time. He just moved to Boston about a month after I did so we've been finding our way together. I like him, he's funny and easy to be with. Honestly, I wanted him to be someone I could really care for but he's not."

"How come?"

"He's not you Jethro. He's a very nice man but he's not you. I love you and no one else compares very favorably."

"Oh. Thanks. I think."

"If you had just asked he would have taken a message or hollered at me to get the phone. Why did you call anyway?"

"While we were having supper Michael said he wondered how you were. Later while we were watching a movie I decided I would call you. I went to the basement, poured myself a drink and called. And then Dan answered and my worst fear was realized in that moment. I figured I had left it too long and you had, understandably, found someone else. I hung up and drank almost the whole damned bottle."

"Why did that send you into such a tailspin? Why drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels?

"I just wanted to stop feeling so damned bad. I wanted to stop feeling anything. I have been miserable for months knowing I'd let you get away."

Jethro never looked at her during that exchange. Jenny rubbed her thumb back and forth on the back of his hand. When he stopped talking she rearranged herself on the couch so she was sitting sideways and could see his face. She raised her right hand to his cheek and turned him to face her.

"I'm right here, Jethro. Yes, I moved to Boston but you didn't lose me. Not if you don't want to. That's the rub; you have to decide what you want. I can't and won't wait forever. I. Love. You. And your precious son. Tell me what you want, Jethro."

Jethro looked into her eyes and saw her love for him reflected there. He reached up and touched her cheek, stroking his fingers down her soft skin. He felt like he could barely breathe, his heart was pounding in his chest and he thought he could hear his blood rushing through his body.

"You. I want you Jenny."

Then he leaned into her, tangled his hands in her hair and kissed her hungrily. He held onto her for dear life and kissed her over and over again barely letting her catch her breath before he was capturing her lips again. Jenny returned his kisses, her hands all over him, touching as much of him as she could. She felt like she was drowning and she didn't want to be saved.

Eventually they had to take some solid breaths but they stayed in each other's arms. Jethro had his hands under her shirt reveling in the softness of her skin under his rough hands. Jenny ran her hands through his hair and framed his face with her hands drawing him to look at her.

"Tell me what wanting me means to you Jethro."

"I want you in my life, Jenny. Every day. I love you. I want us to be a family. I want it all and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. To make you happy. Can you come back?"

"My contract is for one year. I can't come back until September. Unless I can work something else out. I'd have to find a job here of course. And a place to live."

"I want you here. This isn't how I would prefer to do this but, will you marry me Jenny?"

She was not expecting that. Even though he had said he wanted them to be a family she had not, for some reason, thought he would ask her to marry him. Certainly not today anyway.

"Jethro, are you sure that's what you want? You don't have to do this."

"Of course I'm sure. Nothing has been any good since you left. I miss you. Michael misses you. I know I may seem to be rushing this but I don't want to be without you any longer than absolutely necessary."

"You do realize that we have only been on about a dozen dates and have known each other for less than a year. And haven't seen or spoken to each other in the past four months?"

"I know all that. Are you saying you don't want to marry me? If you don't that's okay I guess but I still want you here. With me and Michael. Are you saying no, Jenny?"

"No, I'm not saying no to marrying you. I'm saying let's slow down just a little bit and take this a step at a time. Let's see how we do with regular communication and visiting and regular dating sorts of things. Then, later we can talk about forever."

"Alright, I guess I can live with that."

He kissed her again and then some more and pretty soon they were off the couch and Jethro was leading her upstairs. Michael didn't get picked up until after lunch.

Jethro told her they could wait if she wanted or if she wasn't sure but when she pushed him down on the bed and fell, laughing on top of him he was pretty sure she didn't want to wait. Good thing since he was already working on getting her clothes off of her. When he fumbled with her sweater for too long she sat up, straddling his lap and pulled it off herself. Then she took off her bra and leaned down and kissed him until he thought he'd pass out. When she finally let him breathe, Jethro rolled them over, lost his shirt and divested her of her pants before he stood up and dropped his own pants on the floor.

Jenny got up on her knees and reached for him. Standing beside the bed, Jethro slowly ran his hands across the swell of her breasts and down her arms. He took her hands in his and raised them to his lips kissing each finger. He placed her hands on his waist and smoothed her hair back from her face. Then he let his hands get lost in her thick, beautiful hair and took her mouth in a slow, deep, thought erasing kiss. Jenny wrapped herself around him and melted into his body. Her hands swept up and down his back and sides touching as much of him as she could reach. It was all new for them but at the same time they felt as if they had been made for each other. What one of them wanted the other supplied; each desire was met before it was voiced and each pleasure was joyfully received and returned in kind.

When kissing and touching weren't enough Jethro leaned into her and Jenny pulled him down onto the bed with her. His touches became more urgent and her gasps and moans more specific. Finally, Jethro settled on her and holding his weight off just enough he entered her and they began moving together as if they had been lovers for years. When they climaxed together they were looking in each others eyes and nothing had ever been so right for either of them. At least not for a long time for Jethro and never for Jenny.

Rolling onto his side, Jethro pulled Jenny on top of him and brushed her hair back from her face. "You are so beautiful. I can't believe I waited so long to be with you."

"I'm glad we waited. And, it was worth it. Don't you think?"

She was grinning from ear to ear and the laughter in her voice was like music to his soul. "Oh, yes, it was definitely worth the wait. Think we might try again pretty soon?

"I'm ready if you are!"

The second time they took their time touching, caressing and tasting every sweet and vulnerable spot they could find on each other. There was a lot of laughter and some teasing before finally Jenny took matters into her own hands, literally, and got them back where they both wanted to be; completely joined together and wrapped in each other. Afterward, lying together, sweaty and spent they couldn't stop touching one another. For Jethro he wanted to make sure this was real and he wasn't having some kind of hangover induced delusion. Jenny just wanted to touch him because she loved the feel of his body and couldn't get enough of him.

Eventually Jethro sighed and said, "I should go get Michael. I think I have some explaining to do."

"May I come with you?"

"I'd like that. Wanna share a shower first?"

"I'd love to if you will go down and get my bag. I left it by the front door."

When Jethro got back upstairs Jenny was waiting in the shower. There was a lot of kissing and touching and very little washing getting done but neither of them seemed to mind. Eventually they managed to get clean and Jethro stepped out while Jenny washed her hair. By the time they were both dressed and ready to go it was almost noon.

On the way to Ducky's house Jethro reached for her hand. "I can't believe you're really here."

Jenny laughed, "I guess, once again, we have Michael to thank for getting us together."

"Yeah, I guess so. Listen, thank you for what you did for him last night. He trusts you and I'm so thankful you were there for him last night. It means everything to me."

"You're welcome, Jethro. I love Michael. He has such a special way about him. I can't explain it but he is a special child."

"That's his mother coming out in him. Beth was a very kind, gentle person. She was quiet and super smart. I never understood what she saw in me but I was glad she saw it."

"She sounds like a wonderful person and mom. I know you must miss her Jethro. Don't sell yourself short though. Michael has a lot of you in him too. I'm sorry Michael has no memories of her."

"Me too. He has her picture on his dresser and he knows that's his mom but of course he doesn't remember her at all. Anyway, I'm very glad you're here. I'm certainly not proud of what I did last night but I can't be totally sorry since it got you here."

"In the future when you call me and someone else answers, just ask for me, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

When they arrived at Ducky's house Michael was waiting on the front steps. As soon as Jenny stepped out of the car he ran to her and threw himself into her arms.

"Wow, I can't believe you're here. I missed you so much. Are you going to stay? Was daddy surprised when you came? Was he mad I called?"

"Slow down Michael. I've missed you too. Daddy was surprised but not mad and no, I'm not staying but I'll be back in a few months, not just to visit but to live here again."

"Yea!"

Jethro came around the car and Michael let go of Jenny and went to his father. He looked up at his dad and grinned. "It was a good surprise right?"

"Yes, it was a very good surprise. Listen Michael, you and I need to have a talk. Let's go to the backyard while Ducky and Jenny visit."

Jethro took Michael by the hand and they went to Ducky's garden and settled into two chairs on the deck where they could be in the warm sun. Michael was nervous about what his daddy was going to say so he decided to start right in.

"Are you mad at me for calling Jenny?"

"No, I'm not mad at all. It was a smart thing. But why didn't you call Ducky or Kate or someone else here?"

"I thought Ducky would be asleep and since he's kinda old I didn't want to wake him up. I didn't think about Kate or somebody else. I wanted to talk to Jenny cos she always makes me feel better."

"I'm very sorry I wasn't awake when you needed me Michael. It's makes me very sad that I let you down. I promise it won't ever happen again."

"It's okay daddy. Don't be sad."

"It's not okay Michael. I'm supposed to protect you and take care of you and always be there when you need me. Thank you for understanding and not being mad at me."

"Daddy are you and Jenny friends agan?"

"Yes, we are. We had a long talk and everything is good now. We're going to be talking to each other a lot more and visiting her in Boston. Would you like that?"

"Sure! When is she coming back here?"

"Probably in September. Come on let's go see Ducky and then we can go home."

The rest of the weekend the trio spent getting reacquainted and doing family type stuff around the house. That night Jenny helped Michael get ready for bed and read him a story before he went to sleep. When she kissed him goodnight she promised to see him in the morning for breakfast. Jethro and Jenny enjoyed some quality adult time that night knowing it would likely be a while before they would see each other again. Later, lying in bed together they talked about the immediate future.

"I will ask about getting out of my contract but I won't do anything that puts the hospital in a bind."

"I understand and that's no problem. I'd love it if you could be here next week but you have to do the right thing. You leaving after just one year won't hurt your career will it?"

"No, I'm not worried about that. Do you think you and Michael will be able to come see me some in the next few months?"

"Just try and keep us away. You might get sick of us you know."

"Not much chance of that. I've waited a long time to find someone to love, Jethro. I'm not likely to tire of you anytime soon."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Sorry this is a short one. Gotta get ready for company tomorrow and watch the Thunder game. Hopefully the next one will get up tomorrow. Thank you for al reviews, alerts and readers who remain anonymous; you're loved too!

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 14

The next few months were an an exercise in patience for all of them. Jethro and Jen tried to talk on the phone at least several times a week but even that didn't always happen. After several missed phone calls and unanswered text messages Jenny decided to do things the old fashioned way. She began writing Jethro real letters. At first it was just a joke but after while she began to like it more and more. She found she could take her time and put her thoughts and feelings on paper in a much more satisfactory manner than she could by email. Jethro loved getting her letters. At first it was a painful reminder of letters he used to get from Shannon when he was deployed but soon he put that aside and concentrated on the here and now. He found himself looking forward to getting the mail every night when he got home no matter how late it was. Almost every day now there was a letter or at the least a short note from Jen. She even took the time to write Michael once a week.

When they spoke on the phone or in email it was mostly about every day things and work. They made plans to visit and talked about Michael and how he was doing in school. Jenny talked about interesting surgeries she'd done and sometimes Jethro talked about cases. All ordinay and mundane converstaions for the most part. The letters were different though. In her letters, Jenny could tell him the intimate things that weren't easily conveyed by email or even over the phone. It was more like talking to him face to face when she put pen to paper. Jenny had long thought about the lost art of letter writing. She had read some of the letters soldiers and their wives had exchanged during various wars and they had touched her deeply with their intimacy and almost poetic beauty. To her great surprise and delight Jethro began writing her back. His letters were filled with emotion and humor and each one reinforced her desire to spend her life with him.

When school was out in early June, Michael was promoted to the second grade and the Gibbs men celebrated by flying to Boston on Friday night for a weekend with Jenny. Michael had never been on a plane before and he was so excited Jethro didn't think the seatbelt would hold him in the seat. Jenny met them at the airport and the three of them went out to dinner. By the time they got to Jenny's apartment after dinner Michael was already asleep. Jethro carried him to the guest room and put him to bed. Then he and Jenny wasted no time making up for the weeks they had been apart.

Lying together later, Jenny with her head on his chest and Jethro's hands roaming over her body, it seemed their lives were truly on the right track. Jenny propped herself up on one elbow and traced Jethro's lips with her finger. She loved to look at him, touch him, just being close to him was enough to give her a sense of safety and contentment.

"You surprised me when you started writing me letters, Jethro. I didn't expect you to be a letter writer."

"When I joined the Corps we were "encouraged" to write home once a week. I think to let our folks know we were still alive."

"Did you write Shannon from the war?"

"Yeah. She wrote me every day. Sometimes I got three or four letters at a time. I only read one a day. In the order they were mailed. Wanted to make them last."

Jenny noticed he looked past her when talking about Shannon. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the mouth.

"I love you Jethro. And I always will."

"I love you Jen. More every day."

The weekend ended much too soon and Jethro and Michael headed back to DC on Sunday night. They had made plans for Jen to spend the 4th of July in DC with them. She would have to miss Michael's birthday but promised him it would be the last one she'd miss. Jenny did make it for the Fourth and they all celebrated at Ducky's with the whole team in attendance. It was now obvious to everyone who knew them that Jethro and Jenny were a couple and had every intention of being together in the future. Michael made sure to tell everyone that Jenny was moving back to DC and she happily confirmed that information. Jethro's team was delighted for their boss and themselves; a happy Gibbs was much easier to work for than an unhappy one after all.

On the last Friday of July Jethro arranged for Michael to spend the weekend with Kate and Abby and he flew to Boston to surprise Jenny. He hadn't told her was coming but he had enlisted the help of a friend, Dan. Being the good investigator he was, Jethro had contacted Dan through the hospital and explained that he wanted to surprise Jenny but wanted to be sure she wasn't working and would be at home. Dan was all too happy to help. Jenny had told him about what happened when he answered her phone that fateful night and he felt badly about it. He was eager to meet Jethro so on this Friday he was walking Jenny home after work. They had both had a pretty rough week with some difficult surgeries and had gone out for a drink after getting off work. They were laughing as they stepped off the elevator and turned to go to Jenny's apartment.

"Do you want to come in and have something to eat? I may have some sandwich meat that hasn't gone bad yet."

"That sounds incredibly inviting but maybe I better pass."

Dan had gotten a text from Jethro that he was waiting at the apartment so he knew what to say next. "I think you're going to be busy tonight."

"Really? What makes you think so?"

They were about to round the corner to Jenny's apartment and Dan stopped and pointed and said simply, "Him."

Jenny looked down the hall to see Jethro standing in front of her door holding one red rose and grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh my gosh! Jethro what a wonderful surprise." She turned to Dan who was also smiling. "And you, you're in on this aren't you?"

"It's the least I could do." He extended his hand, "Hello, Jethro, nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise. Thanks for getting her here."

Jenny turned and hugged Dan. "Thank you. Will you join us for a drink?"

"Not tonight. But another time I'd love to. You two have fun. Night Jethro."

Dan turned and left and Jenny threw her arms around Jethro and hugged him while she fumbled with her keys. When they finally got inside, Jethro pushed her against the door and kissed her hungrily. His hands were everywhere and Jenny was doing her best to keep up. Finally she was able to take a breath and steer them toward the bedroom. Neither one of them said anything for the next hour; nothing in the way of conversation that is. Jethro did his best to go slowly, to draw it out and pace himself but Jenny was having none of that. She rolled them over and took control of the situation and Jethro was all too happy to let her have her way with him. When she had exhausted them both she collapsed on his chest and he held her in place and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you Jenny Sheppard. You are so beautiful you take my breath away. And you certainly seem to know what you're doing in this bed."

"Thank you. I love you too. What are you doing here by the way?"

"I came to see you. And to do this." He waved his left hand in a circle encompassing them.

"I'm very glad you did. I miss you every day."

"Me too. How much longer?"

"Just another month. I'm officially released the Friday before Labor Day."

Jenny rolled off of him and Jethro sat up pulling her onto his lap. She straddled him and Jethro brushed her hair back and kissed her. His hands were gently stroking her breasts and the kisses grew more and more heated. When they took a moment to breathe, Jenny moved off his lap and stood up beside the bed.

Concerned and unhappy with the change, Jethro reached for her hand, "Where you goin'?"

"Jethro I haven't eaten since morning and I'm starving. If I stay on that bed one more minute you and I will be right back at it and I won't eat for another hour or more. I need nourishment and since I have plans for you tonight mister you better get some too."

"When you put it that way how can I resist?"

Reluctantly, Jethro got up and pulled on his boxers and reached for his shirt.

"Leave that off. I like you with no shirt."

"Okay but you have to leave yours off too."

Jenny laughed. "I don't think so. Something about cooking without a shirt on doesn't appeal to me."

"Fine, you wear mine then. And since it's so long, no panties."

The grin on his face was too much for her. She agreed.

Jethro sat at the small table in the kitchen area while Jenny found them something to eat. He called Michael to tell him goodnight. Something about talking to his child while at the same time leering at his half naked lover didn't seem quite right. Jenny took the phone from him and spoke to Michael for a moment.

"What's that look on your face Agent Gibbs?"

"Just seemed kinda wrong talking to Michael while thinking about what's under that tee shirt."

"I agree. Get your mind out of the bedroom. At least for the next few minutes while we refuel."

On Sunday afternoon Jen and Jethro took a walk and had a picnic lunch in a beautiful park not far from Jen's apartment. They found a nice shady spot and Jethro spread out a blanket for them. After they ate, Jen was lying with her head in Jethro's lap while he carefully combed his fingers through her hair. Neither one spoke, they just enjoyed being together and having this precious time to enjoy one another. As the afternoon wound down and the time for Jethro's flight approached they began to gather their belongings. Jethro had wanted to ask something all day but hadn't worked up the courage so far. Now, he was leaving in a couple of hours and needed to get on with it. Walking back to the apartment hand in hand he finally spoke.

"Jen, will you move in with me when you come back?"

She had been expecting something like this but still didn't know how to answer.

"Are you sure that's what you want Jethro? It's a pretty big step. What about Michael?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I know it's a big step but I'm ready. I guess the question is, are you? What are your concerns about Michael?"

"What if something happens between us? If I'm living there and we break up he will be much more hurt than if I'm not there."

"Nothing is going to happen with us. I love you and I will do whatever it takes to make us work. Do you love me, Jen?"

"Yes, you know I do. I guess it's just such a big change and I'm worried it will be too much too soon."

"Can't be soon enough to suit me. But maybe the more important thing is, do you want to move in with me?"

Without hesitation, Jen replied "Yes, I want to. I don't have much stuff. Almost no furniture, just mostly clothes and…."

She never finished her sentence because Jethro was kissing her right there standing on the sidewalk in front of her apartment building. When he finally let her breathe several people who had been watching applauded and cheered. Jethro was embarrassed but he just smiled and thanked them as he led Jen into the building.

On the way to the airport Jenny asked, "What are you going to tell Michael about me living with you?"

"I've been thinking about that. I will just be honest with him and tell him we love each other and want to be together. He'll be fine with it. He loves you too you know."

Jethro smiled all the way home. He knew exactly what he was going to say to Michael but he wasn't ready to share that with Jenny yet.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Thanks for all the reviews on this story. We're coming to the end; only two more chapters after this one and then an epilogue.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 15

Two weeks later the thing Jenny didn't even know she was afraid of happened. When her phone rang as she was leaving the hospital she assumed it was the duty nurse calling her back about a troublesome surgery from earlier in the day. Instead it was another doctor about another patient.

"This is Dr. Sheppard."

"Jenny, it's Ducky."

"Hi, Ducky, how are you?" Jenny was not worried when she heard who it was; she never gave much thought to the dangers of Jethro's job. Until now.

"I'm fine dear. I'm afraid I'm calling about Jethro."

Jenny stopped walking and almost stopped breathing. Panic seemed to sweep over her with the speed of sound; the sound of Ducky's voice.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"He's been shot. It's not life threatening but I thought you should know."

"Where? How is he?"

"He was shot in the left shoulder and then fell down some stairs so he's pretty banged up but he'll survive."

"I'll be there tonight. There's a flight that gets into Reagan at 9:30. Where is he?"

"Washington Trauma. Someone will meet you at the airport. He's going to be okay, Jenny."

"What about Michael? Where is he?"

"Kate and Abby have him at the hospital. He's scared of course but alright. I know he'll want to see you."

"Okay, Ducky, please tell him I'm on my way. And Jethro too. Bye."

Jenny got to her apartment in time to pack an overnight bag and get to the airport. She prayed all the way to DC. When she walked off the plane McGee was there to meet her. She didn't bother to ask how he'd managed to get through security without a ticket. She just assumed his badge made that particular feat possible.

"How is he?"

"He was just out of surgery when I left. Dr. Ryan said he'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"We were going to arrest a suspect in our case and the guy just freaked out and charged at Gibbs and Kate firing at them before they even knew he was in the house. He shot Gibbs before he could draw his gun and Kate managed to shoot him just before he ran into the boss knocking them both down a short flight of stairs. The dead guy landed on the boss and knocked him out cold. It must have happened at the speed of light because no one has ever gotten the drop on the boss before. Tony and I were covering the back so by the time we got in there it was over."

"Geez what a disaster! Is Kate alright?"

"She's fine. Pretty pissed she didn't get the guy quicker but she's not hurt. I can't imagine what the boss is thinking. He must be furious at himself for getting shot. That's the way he thinks you know."

"Yes, I imagine he is pretty pissed."

Jenny relaxed a little bit on the ride to the hospital but not much. When they arrived she managed to stop herself from running in but just barely. Walking down the familiar hallways she kept telling herself Frank Ryan was the best trauma surgeon around and Jethro was going to be fine. She and McGee finally arrived in the waiting area and Jenny saw Michael sitting on Tony's lap. Tony whispered in his ear and Michael turned and saw Jenny walk into the room. He scrambled down and flew into her waiting arms. She knelt down and hugged him.

"Daddy got shot. Dr. Frank had to operate on him. They won't let me see him. Please tell them to let me see him."

Michael was crying and clinging to Jenny for dear life. She wrapped her arms around him and held him. She rubbed his back and spoke to him in a quiet, soothing voice.

"Daddy is going to be okay, Michael. I know you're scared but I promise you and I are going to see him pretty soon. We have to wait for Dr. Frank to say it's okay."

Michael clung to her but he had stopped crying. She brushed his tears away and looked into his father's blue eyes. It amazed her how much she loved this little boy even though she had only known him for a little over a year. Dr. Ryan walked into the waiting room and Jenny stood up to greet him. Michael stayed by her side and she held his hand.

"Jenny, good to see you. Sorry for the circumstances. Jethro is in the ICU as a precaution for tonight. I expect he will be here for a couple of days, three at the most. I'll give you the details another time."

Frank looked knowingly at Michael and Jenny nodded in agreement. She didn't think a little boy needed to hear the details of his father's injury.

"I'd like to see him. And Michael needs to see his father as well."

"Of course. Give us a few minutes and someone will come get you."

Dr. Ryan squatted down to Michael's level. "Your dad is going to be okay Michael. I fixed him up good. When you go see him he will have some wires and stuff on him but don't worry he's okay. He'll probably be asleep. If you have any questions you ask Jenny or me. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for fixing my daddy, Dr. Frank."

"You're welcome."

Ducky came over to Jenny and gave her a hug. She turned to the team and said, "I feel a bit like I'm intruding here. You have all known Jethro so much longer than I have. I don't mean to push you aside."

"Don't be silly, my dear. You are the woman Jethro loves. It's only right you should be here and take the lead. And Michael clearly wants to be with you. No, you go right ahead and see him. We'll wait."

Tony spoke up, "That's right. Anyway, the boss would kill us if we didn't have you here. It's alright." Kate and Abby chimed in their agreement.

A nurse appeared and beckoned Jenny to follow her. Jenny took Michael by the hand and said to the group, "Thank you for understanding."

Jenny wanted to prepare Michael for what he would be seeing but decided to let that go and just explain things when they got in there. Luckily there were no other patients on either side of Jethro so Michael didn't see anything upsetting. When they stepped into the ICU unit she felt Michael tighten his grip on her had and move closer to her. She took him to the side of the bed and helped him stand on a chair so he could see his dad.

She was glad Jethro didn't look too bad. His shoulder was bandaged and his arm in a sling but otherwise he didn't have any obvious injuries. She wondered to herself why he was in the ICU. Jenny stroked her hand through his hair and leaned down to kiss him softly on the mouth. Michael held his daddy's hand.

Jenny said, "Jethro, Michael and I are here. If you can wake up we'd sure like to say hello."

"Daddy, wake up. Dr. Frank said you're okay so why don't you wake up?"

Jenny put her arm around Michael's shoulders and said, "He still sleeping because of the medicine they gave him. Remember when you had that special medicine before your operation? Daddy had some of that too. I bet he wakes up pretty soon. Why don't we sit down here and talk to him a little bit and see if that helps."

Jenny sat down and Michael sat in her lap. "What did you do today Michael, before you came to the hospital?"

"I was at horse camp. I have a horse there I take care of and I get to ride her every day. I brush her and feed her. Her name is Lucy. She's black and white. I think my teacher said she's a paint horse. Do you like horses?"

"I sure do. I'm excited for you to go to horse camp. Your daddy told my you were going. It sounds like you have a pretty good time there."

"I do. We're supposed to go on a trail ride tomorrow but I guess I'll miss it."

"Oh no you won't." The voice was hoarse and not very loud but there was no doubt who was speaking.

Michael jumped up. "Daddy, you're awake! Are you okay daddy?"

"I am now." He reached for Jenny's hand and she laced their fingers together and smiled her best smile at him.

"Hi handsome. Some fix you got into I'd say."

"Yeah, but I'm okay. Dr. Frank fixed me up Michael and I'll be home in no time. I don't want you to worry, okay, buddy?"

"Okay. I was scared when Kate and Abby picked me up and said you got hurt. I didn't cry but I wanted to. Then when Jenny got here I cried."

"It's okay to cry. I'm sorry you were scared. Can you give me a little hug and a kiss?"

Jenny lifted Michael up so he could reach his dad. She noticed Jethro squeezed his eyes shut tightly as Michael carefully hugged him then kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm really happy to see you Michael. How did you get Jenny here?"

"I didn't. She just showed up. Pretty cool huh?"

"I'll say. Listen, I bet Abby and Kate and everyone would like to know I'm awake. Do you think you could go tell them? I need to talk to Jenny for a minute then you need to go home."

"No, I want to stay with you."

"Michael, I'm going to be sleeping all night. I need you to go home with Jenny and show her where Maggie's food and stuff is. I bet she'd even let you sleep with her in my bed. And besides you have camp tomorrow. You can't let Lucy down."

"But who's going to stay with you?"

Jenny spoke up, "I'll be here all day tomorrow Michael. I promise."

"Come here and give me another hug and a kiss and then I want you to go give Kate and everyone a report. After I talk to Jenny for a few minutes she'll take you home. It's way past your bedtime already."

Jenny again helped Michael reach his daddy and Jethro hugged him as best he could with one arm. Michael kissed him goodnight and Jenny took him out to find someone to take him back to the waiting area. When she returned, Jethro's "I'm okay" façade was gone. In its place was a face that showed he was in considerable pain and discomfort. She had his chart and was reading it when he again reached for her hand.

"What's it say in there Doc?"

"It says you had a through and through to the left shoulder. That you lost a considerable amount of blood and have some bruised ribs and a slight concussion. I suspect Frank has you in the ICU because of the blood loss."

"Sounds about right. I'm sure glad to see you Jen."

Jethro reached for her with his right hand she and she laced her fingers with his. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the mouth.

"I'm sure glad I could get here. I wish you'd let me stay with you tonight."

"I'd love it but I really think Michael needs you more than I do. He acts like he's okay but I know he's scared to death. He knows his mom died here and I bet it's got him freaked out even if he doesn't realize it. I know any of the team would stay with him but I think you're the best person for the job."

"I understand. I will be here tomorrow though. I have a late flight tomorrow night. I have to go back for a couple of surgeries. Frank said you'd be here two or three days at the most. Where will you go when you get released?"

"Home. Michael can help with simple stuff and the team will help. It's just a shoulder wound, Jen, I'll be fine."

"I'm going to worry so just don't try and talk me out of it. As a surgeon I see that you are going to recover but as the woman who loves you I see you are hurting and it's hard for me to leave you."

"I understand. What I really need right now is a couple of really good kisses and then something to hold me over until you get back. Something like morphine."

"I can handle the first part and I'll leave the second part to your nurses. But I know you're hurting, I can see it in your face. They don't want you in pain so tell them when you need something. It makes the healing go faster."

"I will."

Jenny kissed him thoroughly and with purpose and then gently pulled away. She searched his face and saw he was fading pretty fast.

"Go to sleep. I'll send someone in with some pain meds and I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay." It was all he could get out before the pain and the exhaustion pulled him under.

When Jenny got to the waiting area, Michael was asleep in Kate's lap. She told them what she could about Jethro's condition.

"Can one of you give Michael and I a ride home? I hate to leave Jethro here alone but he wants me to stay with Michael."

"Tim will take you home my dear. And don't worry, Tony will be here overnight."

"Thank you. All of you. Tony, here's my cell number, please call me if anything happens. Otherwise I'll be back in the morning. Does anyone know what time Michael goes to camp?"

"I do. He's supposed to be there at eight thirty and gets out at four o'clock.

Would you like me to take him?"

"Thank you Kate, but I think I'd like to take him so I could talk to them about what's happened. And maybe pick him up early so he could spend some time with his dad. I have a flight at seven thirty tomorrow evening so I guess he will be with one of you guys after that. I do hope I'm not stepping on any toes here".

Abby stood up and went to Jenny. "Absolutely not. We know how much you mean to Gibbs and we are so happy for both of you but mostly for him and Michael. We are a family and we hope you will be part of it from now on. Besides, we've had plenty of opportunities to deal with Gibbs in patient mode and frankly, we're happy to turn him over to you for even one day."

Everyone else heartily agreed. Tim took Michael from Kate and started for the elevator with Jenny alongside. When they got home Tim carried Michael up to his room and Jenny thanked him then put Maggie outside in the backyard. She put some food and fresh water out for the dog and then went upstairs to get Michael settled in bed.

When she went into his room she found Michael awake and crying softly into his pillow. She sat on the bed and took him into her arms and kissed the top of his head.

"Tell me what's got you crying Michael." It seemed a stupid question but Jenny knew there could be a number of things bothering him.

"I'm scared daddy won't come home."

That was what she had been afraid of. "I know it's scary but I'm sure daddy is going to be just fine. I know you wanted to stay with him but he was worried about you and wanted you to sleep at home with Maggie and be safe here."

"But what if something happens and we're not there?"

"Tony is there with daddy and he promised he would call if anything happens."

That seemed to make Michael feel better. He sniffled once more and quieted down. Jenny rocked him back and forth on the bed rubbing his back the whole time.

"Listen, I think we better get you into bed so you can go to camp in the morning."

"I don't want to go. I want to go see daddy. Please, Jenny, please let me go stay with daddy."

Jenny's heart was breaking for him and she completely understood his feelings. She decided since Jethro trusted her to care for Michael she would make an executive decision and let Michael miss camp tomorrow. She had the information and could call them in the morning. She was sure they would understand given the circumstances.

"Okay, I think you're right. I'll call them in the morning and say you have to miss one day. Then you and I will go spend the day with daddy. But first you have to get on some pj's and get into bed while I go let Maggie in. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure. Thanks for letting me go with you tomorrow."

"You're welcome, sweet boy. Now, get busy and I'll be back in a few minutes."

When Jenny returned, Michael was coming out of his bathroom after brushing his teeth.

"Could I sleep with you in daddy's bed?"

"You bet. Come on."

Michael climbed onto the king size bed and burrowed under the covers. Maggie soon joined him curled up at the foot of the bed. Jenny took her overnight bag into the master bathroom and changed into her sleep pants and a shirt. Then she fell into bed and buried her face in Jethro's pillow, inhaling his scent. Michael was already sound asleep. Jenny lay awake for what seemed a long time thinking about Jethro being shot and wondering just how often that sort of thing happened to him.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Thanks for all the reviews and alerts on this story. Next to last chapter and then a short epilogue.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 16

The next morning Maggie was the first one up and Jenny followed her downstairs to let her outside. Then she took a quick shower and got dressed before waking Michael. It was almost nine o'clock when they sat down to eat some breakfast.

"Michael does Annie still stay with you sometimes?"

"Yeah, she picks me up from camp and stays until daddy gets home."

"Oh, well we better tell her what's going on then. Did she pick you up yesterday? I thought Kate and Abby did."

"They came here and got me."

Just then the doorbell rang and Jenny went to see who was there. Annie and her mom, Barbara were on the porch.

"Good morning, Jenny. How is Jethro? And Michael?"

"Hi, come on in. Michael and I were just talking about how we needed to let you know what was happening. Jethro will be fine. He's still in the hospital of course but he'll probably come home tomorrow."

"That's a relief. Hi, Michael."

"Hi Annie. Hi Mrs. Parks. I'm going to see my daddy today so I'm not going to camp."

"Yes, that's what I was going to come tell you."

"That seems like a good idea. Do you need a ride? I didn't see an extra car."

"That would be great. We'll be ready in about fifteen minutes of that's okay with you."

"Fine. What about tonight?"

"Actually, I have to fly back to Boston tonight. Could I call you about a time to pick Michael up. Annie, can you stay with him overnight if necessary?"

"Sure, I'd be happy too. Then I could take him to camp tomorrow if he's going."

"What do you think, Michael? Maybe you better not miss two days, Lucy might wonder where you are."

"I think I'll go tomorrow."

"Wonderful. I'll call you from the hospital after we run all this by Jethro."

"Okay, just come on over when you're ready and Annie or I will drive you to the hospital."

"Thank you. We'll be over in a few minutes."

Michael finished his breakfast and Jenny put the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. She looked around and found Michael standing in the living room staring at his father's favorite chair. She walked to him and touched him gently on the head.

"He'll be home sitting in that chair in a day or two at the most. Your dad is going to be fine Michael."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise. Now what do you want to take with you for the day? Do you have any books you're reading?"

"I have two library books daddy and I are reading together."

"Okay, let's get your backpack and put some things in there for you to do. Sometimes sitting around a hospital room can be boring. Daddy might still be sleeping a lot you know. How about we take a couple of movies and you can watch them on my laptop."

"Yeah."

Michael ran upstairs and Jenny followed. She gathered her things and repacked her overnight case while Michael got his books, a drawing tablet and his markers and loaded his backpack. He ran back downstairs and picked out two movies. Jenny let Maggie in from the backyard and refilled her water and food bowls.

"Okay, I think we're ready."

Michael led the way out the door obviously excited about seeing his dad. As they walked next door to Annie who was waiting by her car, Jenny's phone rang.

Looking at the caller ID she saw it was Tony calling. "Good morning, Tony."

"Hey, it's me. Had to borrow DiNozzo's phone. Good morning."

"Well, what a nice surprise. Good morning."

"Wondered when you would be here."

"We're on our way now. Annie is driving us."

"We?"

"Yes, Michael is with me. We'll see you in a few minutes and I'll explain."

"Okay. I'm in room three twenty-five. Hurry. I miss you."

"On our way. Love you. Bye."

As they got in the car Michael asked, "Was he mad I didn't go to camp?"

"No, he's excited to see us. He's in his own room so that means he's getting better."

The smile on Michael's face lit up the whole backseat.

When they walked into three twenty-five, the smile on Jethro's face lit up the whole room.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, buddy. Come up here and see me."

Michael carefully climbed on the bed with his dad and kissed him good morning. The little boy was very careful of his daddy's shoulder and sat very still on his dad's uninjured side.

"Are you better daddy?"

"Yep. I'm lots better today. And having you here is the best. And Jenny of course. Did you help her with Maggie?"

"She didn't need any help. She fixed breakfast and she called camp and told them I wasn't coming. They said it was okay. I'm going tomorrow if it's okay."

"I think tomorrow would be good. Sit right there for a minute."

Jethro turned his attention to Jenny who was standing at the foot of the bed watching him interact with Michael. Seeing the two of them together was another assurance for her that Jethro was the right person for her. He was such a loving and attentive father and seemed to truly enjoy his son. His face always lit up when Michael was around. And, of course, Michael adored his father. It was easy for Jenny to see why.

She looked at Jethro and saw him studying her.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I was just enjoying watching the two of you together. You look much better today. How's the shoulder feel?"

"Pretty good. No pain to speak of there. Ribs are still sore but I feel a lot better than I did last night. I could use a kiss though."

Jenny moved the side of the bed and leaned down to kiss him on the mouth. Michael made a show of covering his eyes and laughing.

Jenny laughed with him and Jethro gave him a mock head slap.

"What's in your backpack?"

Michael showed his dad what he'd brought and explained he could watch movies on Jenny's laptop.

"How about drawing something for me to take to the office when I go back to work? Think you could do that while I talk to Jenny?"

"Sure."

Jenny got Michael settled with his drawing paper and markers on the tray table pushed over to the chair by the window. He thought for a moment then began concentrating on his work. Jenny motioned for Jethro to scoot over so she could sit on the side of the bed. He did and she settled next to him holding his right hand in her lap.

"How was everything last night?"

"He was upset when we got home and cried and begged me to let him come with me today so I decided to bring him. I know you said he should go to camp but I couldn't say no to him. And I think he needed to see you are better so he could stop worrying."

"I agree. Thanks for overruling me. How are you?"

"I'm better seeing that you are better. This is a new thing for me, being on the other side of the fence so to speak. And, I'm very anxious for the next few weeks to get by so we can be together. I think I miss you more than I should."

"Me too. So, does that mean you're going to move in with us?"

"Yes. I don't see any reason to pay rent when I'd be at your house all the time anyway. Right?"

"That's the way I see it. Anything else we need to talk about? You seem worried or anxious about something."

"Let's wait until we have some alone time."

"Okay. Tell me about working. Are you still looking?"

"As a matter of fact I need to go downstairs and talk to someone about that while I'm here. I think I may be able to come back here to work."

"Really? When did this happen?"

"I called Joyce Sumner last week and she said they would be interested in talking to me about coming back and taking over the pediatric surgery department when Dr. Peterson retires in October. So, I would be working with him for about a month and then it would be all mine."

"Fantastic. I'm so proud of you Jenny. That's great."

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it."

There was a knock on the door and Abby stuck her head in. "Hi guys. Am I interrupting?"

"No, Abby, come in."

"Hey Gibbs you look loads better. I think having Jenny here is speeding your recovery. Hi, Michael."

"I think you're right Abs. Why aren't you at work?"

"Nothing happening right now so I thought maybe I'd check on you. I figured Michael would be here and was hoping he could go with me for a donut."

"Yeah, can I go daddy?"

"Sure, if you promise to bring me one too."

"Okay. Let's go Abby."

After they were gone Jethro pulled Jenny toward him, "Now you can give a proper good morning kiss."

Jenny happily fulfilled that request. When things began to get heated she sat back and patted him on the chest. "Slow down there Agent Gibbs. We are in a hospital you know. People tend to walk in the room unannounced."

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"Maybe to be seen making out with you."

"Okay, but it's not easy when you're so close."

"Would you rather I sit over by the window?"

"Don't even try it. Tell me what's got you worried."

Jenny played with his hand for a moment before she met his gaze. "How often does this sort of thing happen?"

Jethro could tell by the tone of her voice this was serious so he swallowed the flippant answer that was his first reaction and gave some thought to how best to answer her. He motioned for her to get up and then he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up pulling her into a one-armed embrace. He kissed her on the forehead and then brushed her hair back tucking a loose strand behind her ear. He wanted to show her he was alright, able to stand up and move and hold her; not stuck in a hospital bed dependent on anyone else.

Jenny wrapped her arms around him careful not to press on his shoulder too much. It was so good to be close to him, to be in his arms and feel the strength of his body against hers. She pressed a kiss to his jaw and then framed his face with her hands. She never tired of looking at him and today was no different.

Finally he spoke. "If you mean getting shot, not often, I promise. Since Michael was born I've only been in the hospital overnight one other time. I get into some scrapes now and then and wind up with a bruise here and there but nothing serious."

"I never gave much thought to something like this happening. I don't know if I can get used to it or not."

"You won't have to get used to it. I don't make a habit of getting shot, Jen. But, I do carry a gun for a reason. I have a dangerous job, I won't lie to you about that. I'm careful. Especially since Michael came along, I don't take stupid chances anymore. This was just a fluke thing, a wing nut who got lucky."

"What about before Michael?"

"I was more reckless when I was younger. Most agents are but we grow out of it. Yes, I've been shot before and it was pretty serious. You've seen the scars. I've been stabbed once; not very serious and blown up once. That was bad too but as you can see I'm still here with all my parts in good working order. Well except for the shoulder but that will be fine in a few weeks. Please don't think this is a common thing because it's not."

"I believe you. Don't worry, I'm not leaving or anything. I just had to hear you talk about it so I could get my head around what I'm getting into."

"You're getting into being loved beyond your wildest dreams. Being taken care of and protected and driven crazy for the rest of your life. Can you handle it?"

"I sure hope so because I really like waking up with you and hope to do lots more of it in the future."

"Tell me what else you like."

Jenny took a half step back and surveyed him. She put her finger to her lips and squinted her eyes at him. His smile was worth everything to her.

"Ummm let's see, I like your hands, your mouth and your very cute butt. I like how I feel when you kiss me. I like sound of your voice and the way you look at me when you touch me. I really, really like your eyes and pretty much all the rest of you."

"What about when I, you know…"

"When you make love to me?"

"Yeah, what about that? Isn't that on your list of likes?"

"No, that's on my list of things I love and crave and absolutely have to have."

"Better. I wish you didn't have to go back to Boston tonight. Or ever."

"I know but it's just for two more weeks. I haven't packed anything yet. Say, how are you going to help me move now? You won't be much help with your arm in a sling."

"I'll be out of this by then. Anyway, I was planning on asking DiNozzo and McGee to help us. We'll all fly up on Friday morning and they can drive the truck back and Michael and I will drive back with you. It's all taken care of."

"I love it when you plan. Have you talked to your father and told him about this and about us?"

"I have told him about us but not about this. I'll call him tonight."

Abby and Michael returned with donuts and coffee for Jethro and Jenny. After they had enjoyed their snack, Abby went off to work and Jenny said she needed to go downstairs and talk to the woman about the job.

"Daddy, could we read some of my book we didn't get to read last night?"

"Sure, let me sit in the chair and you can sit on my lap."

Jenny made sure Jethro was situated with Michael on his lap before she left.

"I'll be back in a while. You two behave yourselves."

When Jenny came back the Gibbs boys were still reading. Jethro looked and sounded like he needed a break so she suggested Michael watch a movie. He happily agreed so she got out her laptop and Jethro, after a stop in the bathroom, got back into bed. By the time the movie was started he was asleep. Jenny got out her book and the three of them spent the next hour in silence. Jethro woke up as the movie was ending.

"Why don't I go find us something yummy for lunch? What would you guys like?"

They settled for sandwiches from the deli next door and Jenny went for the food. After lunch Michael watched another movie and Jethro and Jenny talked about the move, the fact that she definitely had a job to come to and how they would manage living together. Jenny pointed out to him that she had never lived with anyone before and warned him he could be getting into something he wasn't ready for.

"I think I'll manage. I have a feeling the fringe benefits will outweigh any other issues that might come up."

"Is that what we're calling it now, fringe benefits?"

"What would you like me to call it?"

"I'll think about that."

Dr. Ryan came in about that time and the discussion was put on hold. He gave Jethro the all clear to go home the next day but gave strict instructions about his after care.

"I don't want to hear about any sanding on that boat of yours or anything else that entails the use of that shoulder for at least another week. Then you will have some physical therapy to see how it works. I don't think you will have any problems but let's not rush it. You can go back to work next week and come see me in two weeks."

"Thanks Frank."

"I'm glad to hear you're coming back to us, Jenny. You sure you want to get tied up with this guy though?"

"Pretty sure. I really like Michael and Jethro comes with him so I guess I'll manage."

"I'm right here you know."

"Yeah, we know. Gotta go. You stay out of trouble my friend. Bye Jenny. See you in a few weeks I guess."

"The week after Labor Day. Bye Frank."

Jenny reluctantly left at seven o'clock that night and Annie picked Michael up shortly after that.

"I'll take him to camp in the morning and pick him up as usual, right?"

"Yes, thank you Annie. I don't know what Michael and I would do without you. I'll be home tomorrow sometime so I'll be there when you get back from camp."

"Okay, daddy. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you more. Night buddy. Night Annie."

"Goodnight, see you tomorrow."

Jethro went home the next day and nearly died of boredom before he could get back to work three days later. Michael finished out the week at horse camp and earned three ribbons for riding and care of his horse. Jenny went back to Boston and finished out her two weeks. She happily handed over her responsibilities to a very capable surgeon from Chicago who was eager to begin a new career in Beantown.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Thanks for all the reviews and alerts on this story. This is the last chapter; just a short epilogue to come.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Chapter 17

The Friday before Labor Day two Gibbs men, DiNozzo and McGee descended on Jenny's apartment to help her move. She had packed everything and had only a few pieces of furniture to take so the job wasn't a big one. After a dinner of pizza, beer and soft drinks, Tony and Tim took Michael to the movies. Jenny and Jethro went for a walk and sat in the park near the apartment enjoying the warm evening. Jethro draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close against his side. He kissed her hair and she moved to capture his lips with hers in a kiss that quickly turned heated. Jethro eased back and ran his thumb across her lips. She was so beautiful it made his heart speed up thinking she was really going to be living in his house in two days.

"Are you sure you want to move in with us? I don't want you to feel like you have to."

"Getting cold feet Jethro?"

"No, not at all. I just remember you wanting to go kinda slow and moving in together might make that hard to do. I want you to be comfortable with us and do what's best for you."

"Thank you. I know I said I thought we should go slowly but I don't want to be away from you. I want to wake up with you and be there when you come home late on a bad case. I want you to be there when I have a bad day or lose a patient."

Jethro kissed her again. "Okay, tomorrow your stuff will be delivered, hopefully in good condition, to my house by those two hooligans who will be sleeping on your living room floor tonight."

All of Jenny's worldly possessions were loaded on the rental truck the next morning and safely delivered to Jethro's house that night. They all arrived about seven o'clock and had the truck unloaded by eight thirty. Tony and Tim left and Jenny, Jethro and Michael stood in the driveway looking at each other for several minutes before they all hugged and went in the house.

"Why don't I help Michael get ready for bed and you can organize the closet or whatever you need to do."

"Sounds good."

Much later after Michael was in bed and Jethro had watched the end of a ball game he went to his room and found Jenny sitting on the bed staring at nothing. He watched for a moment from the doorway then stepped in the room and shut the door behind him. He went to the bed and sat down beside Jenny.

"You okay?"

"I don't know."

"Can I help?"

"I don't know if I can do this."

Jethro felt a sense of panic and dread rising in his chest. He had protected himself and Michael from this sort of thing for five years and had pushed Jenny away for months because he was afraid to let this happen. He wanted to be angry at Jenny but he was really only angry at himself. Why did he believe she would stay? No one he loved had ever stayed. Why would she be any different. He fought down the urge to get up and give up. He wanted this woman and he was going to fight to make their relationship work.

"Do what exactly?" He tried his best to keep his tone even and calm.

"Live with you. I know I said I was ready but I've been sitting here, in the room you've shared with two other women and I realized I don't know how to live with a man. And certainly not a child. You know what you're doing Jethro but I don't. That scares me."

Jethro breathed a sigh of relief. He could handle this. He turned Jenny to face him and took her hands in his. He looked her right in the eyes and tried to convey all the love and desire he felt for her.

"Do you trust me, Jen?"

"Yes."

"I know this is new for you but together we can get through whatever comes up. I know we haven't done the everyday, day after day kind of living together but we'll figure it out. Together. We're both used to a degree of aloneness and that is okay. As for living with a child, it's a new day every day so don't think I've got it all figured out. I love you Jenny with all my heart. I need you in my life. I will do anything you need me to do to make this work. I will not let us fail."

By the time he finished Jenny had tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. She felt as if a weight of a hundred pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. The knot that had been growing in her stomach for the last few hours was gone. She mentally kicked herself for doubting her decision.

"I love you so much Jethro sometimes it scares me. Thank you for what you said. I do trust you and I know we will be fine. Please promise you'll be patient with me."

"Are you kidding? I should be asking you that. Everything is going to work out Jen. Michael loves you and he's a great kid. You know that. You've already proven you know what he needs; just relax and be yourself. That's who we fell in love with you know."

"You always know what to say to me to get me back on track. What do you say we celebrate my first night here?"

"Promise not to scream? Might get us an unwanted visitor you know."

"I promise. You're not the most quiet either you know."

"I'll work on it. Come here and kiss me."

She did a lot more than kiss him and neither one of them raised their voices enough to wake up the seven year old sleeping down the hall.

Monday was Labor Day and the Gibbs household celebrated by taking part in the neighborhood cookout. Most of the neighbors knew Jenny already and she joined in the festivities seamlessly. Michael spent the day playing with his buddies, riding bikes and playing catch. Jethro and Ben and a couple of the other men handled the grills and the women handled everything else. By the time the evening was over everyone had eaten too much and all the kids were exhausted. Since school started the next day it was an early evening because everyone had to get a good nights sleep.

Jenny helped clean up and while she and Barbara were carrying some leftovers to the house, Barbara asked her if she and Jethro were planning to get married.

"I don't mean to be nosey but I guess I am. We love Jethro and Michael like family and want them to be happy. I hope I haven't offended you."

"No, you haven't. We talked about it months ago but haven't since then. Honestly, I wasn't sure at that time but now, well let's just say I know what my answer would be if he asks again."

Jenny didn't hide the smile and Mrs. Parks laughed with her. "I bet he gets around to it pretty soon. Jethro's very traditional and with Michael involved, I bet he asks you before the year's out. In fact, I'll bet you twenty dollars he asks before the end of the year."

Jenny stuck out her hand, "I'll take that bet and hope mightily to lose."

The two women walked in the house laughing and Jethro wondered what was going on. The look they were sharing told him it could be trouble but not the bad kind. He was happy to see Jenny fitting in and enjoying herself. His life was right where he wanted it to be; almost.

The next few weeks were busy for the Gibbs household. Michael started second grade and was flourishing. His teacher, who had moved up with the class, told Jethro she had never seen such a positive change in attitude compared to where Michael had been for a while last year. Jethro explained what was different and she said it seemed Dr. Sheppard was a positive influence on Michael. Jethro agreed. As for Dr. Sheppard, she was happy to be back at Washington Trauma and was also flourishing professionally. Her work was very satisfying for her and she looked forward to the challenges every day. Jethro was as busy as ever. Now, though when a case threatened to consume him he had someone to talk to and who comforted him and supported him without asking too many questions.

September faded into October and things continued to go well. Jenny began to wonder about marriage. She was ready. She knew she didn't want to ever leave her two boys and she wondered if Jethro was going to bring it up again. She decided that if he hadn't asked by Thanksgiving she was going to ask him. That wouldn't win her the bet with Barbara because technically the bet was Jethro would propose to her but she didn't care.

Jethro's birthday was November tenth, coincidentally the date the Marine Corps was founded. He had told her not to do anything special such as a party or anything. He wanted them to celebrate at home, just the three of them, if she just had to celebrate at all. She agreed since she wasn't much for birthday parties either. Michael of course was disappointed because he loved birthday parties. Jenny's birthday was only ten days later and she was secretly hoping for a proposal on her day. If not, Thanksgiving was just a few days after that and she would be ready.

The tenth was a blustery, cold day and as they all bundled up to head off to work and school, Jenny kissed Jethro and wished him a happy day.

"Try and be home by seven if you can. I have a special dinner planned and Michael wants us to all watch a movie."

"I should be home early. We're finishing up the case today and since we're not on call this weekend I'm hoping to leave by five. Have a good day yourself. I love you."

Jenny had stolen his line and replied, "I love you more. See you tonight."

Jethro winked at Michael as he buckled him in the back of Jenny's car. Michael pulled his daddy down and whispered in his ear, "See you after school." Then he kissed his daddy on the cheek and said, "Happy birthday, daddy. I love you."

"Love you too, buddy. Have a good day. See you tonight." Jethro winked at him again and then closed the door and waved them goodbye.

That afternoon Jethro picked Michael up from school and they went home to clean the house and get ready for their surprise.

"Can I see it again, daddy?"

They were in Jethro and Jenny's room. Michael was on the bed and his dad was changing clothes.

"Sure. It's in the bottom drawer."

Michael opened the bottom drawer of his dad's dresser and dug down under the sweatshirts to find the black velvet box his daddy had hidden there. He opened the lid and stared at the diamond and platinum ring nestled there.

"It's really pretty. I hope Jenny likes it."

"She will don't worry. When we tell her you picked it out she'll love it. I guarantee."

"You think she'll be surprised?"

"Of course. She won't expect a present on MY birthday. She might think of it for her birthday in a few days which is why we're surprising her tonight."

"Could I wrap it up?"

Jethro thought about it and decided that would be a good idea. "Sure, you want me to get you some gift wrap?"

"No, I'll make my own package for it if that's okay."

"It's okay but be careful. We don't want to lose that you know."

"I'll be careful. You keep it till I'm ready."

"Good idea."

Michael climbed down off the bed and ran off to his bedroom. Jethro held the ring box in his hand and opened it to check out his purchase for the umpteenth time. He had been hiding it in his drawer ever since Jenny moved in. He wanted to propose the first night she was there but after their talk he decided to wait until things settled down a bit. He wanted it to be a special occasion and wanted to include Michael so he had been waiting until he thought they could really surprise her. He figured she was waiting and wondering and he knew tonight would be perfect. After all, like he told Michael she wouldn't expect it on his birthday. Not when hers was just a few days away.

Jenny arrived home at six o'clock and was thrilled to see Jethro's car already parked in the driveway. She had picked up dinner from his favorite Italian restaurant complete with cheesecake for dessert. When she entered the house she thought it looked like someone had been cleaning or at least picking things up.

"Hey, I'm glad you're home already. How was your day?"

"Wonderful. I left early and Michael and I have been home for a while. Here, let me help you."

Jethro took the food sack from her and kissed her hello. "How was your day?"

"Very calm and quiet I'm happy to say. And now I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet evening with my two favorite boys and a relaxing weekend. We can eat whenever you want, Mario said to heat this up for about fifteen minutes."

"I'm hungry so let's put it in now. I'll get some wine."

From upstairs Michael called out, "Daddy, I need some help."

"Okay, just a minute."

In the kitchen, Jenny was busy putting containers in the oven to reheat. Jethro stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her against him. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her there. Jenny turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him a slow, deep kiss that had his heart pounding.

"Happy birthday, handsome. There's a lot more where that came from but not until much later tonight."

"I look forward to it."

"Daddy!"

Jethro kissed her quickly on the mouth then turned, "I'm coming Michael."

Jethro found Michael in his room surrounded by construction paper, scissors, tape, staples and markers. Michael told him to close the door then proudly held up the package he had created to hold Jenny's surprise. It was basically an envelope made from two pieces of construction paper stapled and taped together. Michael had drawn on both pieces of paper and colored the scenes with his markers. Jethro didn't think he'd ever before seen so much tape and so many staples on two pieces of paper. It looked like it would withstand a nuclear blast.

"That looks great Michael. Tell me about the pictures."

"This one is you and Jenny and me on the boat. Those are fishes and that's another boat. This side is you and me playing catch. That's Maggie and that's Jenny sitting in a chair. Do you like it?"

"I love it. It's awesome. I think Jenny will love it."

"Okay but we don't tell her it's for her right? I take it downstairs and act like it's for you right?"

"Right two times. If I give you the ring to put in there can you promise it wont' fall out and get lost?"

Michael just looked at his dad in disbelief. "See all this tape? That's what keeps the ring inside. Once you put it in this little hole here we tape that up and it can't get out. Promise. Guaranteed. For sure."

"Okay, bring that and the tape and come on."

The two Gibbs boys snuck down the hall and Jethro slipped the ring out of the box and into the super secure envelope. Michael taped the hole closed and they were set.

"Listen Michael, this is pretty important what we're doing tonight. Do you know what it means if Jenny and I get married?"

"She lives here with us forever and she's my mom. And later I get a brother or sister. Right?"

"Exactly. Are you okay with having Jenny for your mom?"

"Sure daddy. I love Jenny and she loves me. I know she's not the mom who had me but she's just like a mom. I want her to be my mom."

"Good because that's just what I want too. And, I'm pretty sure that's what Jenny wants. Okay, so we wait until I open my presents and then we do this one."

"Got it."

"Hey, you two, supper's ready."

"Coming."

Jethro made sure Michael had the secret envelope firmly in hand then he slung him over his shoulder and carried him laughing down to the dining room. Jenny had set the table with the good dishes and poured wine for herself and Jethro. They all enjoyed the wonderful food and there was much laughter and love around the table. When they were finished, Jenny banished Jethro to the living room and she and Michael cleaned up the dishes. Jenny served the cheesecake with just one candle on it and she and Michael sang Happy Birthday to Jethro.

There were several gifts on the coffee table including Michael's recent creation. Jethro slowly opened two from Jenny and one from Michael. The suspense was building for him and he sensed for his son as well. Jenny was sitting next to him on the couch and Michael was perched on the coffee table facing them. When only the colorful envelope was left, Jethro suggested coffee. Michael frowned at him but didn't say anything. Jenny started to get up but Jethro said for her to wait.

"Let me get it Jen. You've already done enough for tonight."

He took their dessert plates to the kitchen and quickly got the coffee pot going. He was suddenly very nervous. What if she said no? Maybe he shouldn't have involved Michael in this not knowing what Jenny was going to say. He realized his palms were sweaty and his stomach was beginning to knot up. Then he heard Jenny and Michael laughing and knew he was being stupid. She loved them and wanted to be with them. She would say yes. He had no doubts. Suddenly he didn't want coffee; he wanted to get back in there and get on with his life. He walked out of the kitchen very sure of what was going to happen in the next five minutes.

"I thought you went to get coffee."

"Changed my mind."

Jethro sat back down beside Jenny but turned a bit so he could see her face. Michael was still on the coffee table. He was holding the envelope.

"Looks like you have one more present birthday boy."

Michael grinned at his dad and Jethro winked at him. That was the signal and Michael knew what to do next.

"This is for you Jenny. I made the package." He handed it to her and she accepted it carefully.

Jenny turned the envelope over and thought it might actually be empty. "I love it Michael. Can you tell me about the drawings?"

"I think you should open it first." He was much too excited to talk about his art work at the moment.

Jethro just looked at her and grinned shrugging his shoulders.

Jenny carefully peeled away a bit of tape making an opening in the end of the package. She tipped it up and into her hand fell the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. Her mouth fell open and she couldn't form even a single sound. Jethro quickly looked at Michael and nodded.

Michael jumped up to stand in front of Jenny and she looked at him still unable to speak.

In his most grown-up voice Michael said, "Jenny, will you marry us?"

Jenny looked at Jethro who was looking rather pleased with himself. And then back at Michael who looked like he was about to burst with pride and excitement. She held the ring up and Jethro took it from her and placed it on her left ring finger.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that if you don't mind."

"Me too." Michael was practically coming out of his skin.

"Yes, yes a thousand times yes I will happily marry you."

Jenny threw herself at Jethro and kissed him for all she was worth. Michael put his arms around both adults and soon they were all in a tangle of happiness and love. In the midst of the celebration, Maggie began barking and Michael went off to see what she wanted.

"You surprised me, Jethro. This is the most wonderful night of my life. Thank you. I love you with everything I am."

"You mean more to me than I will ever be able to tell you Jen. I am blessed to have you in my life and in my son's life. I love you with my heart and my soul and I want you to be mine forever."

"I am yours forever."

The smile on his face was something Jenny would never forget. She vowed to herself right then to try and make him smile like that at least once a day for the rest of their lives.

Epilogue to come.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Thank you for each and every review and alert on this story. It's been fun to write and I'm happy so many of you liked it.

A Little Boy and His Doctor

Epilogue

Jethro Gibbs reached the bottom of the stairs as his front door opened and a tall, muscular seventeen year old came in the house.

"Dad, the taxi is here."

"Okay. Can you take this out for me Michael?"

"Sure, where's mom?"

Jethro looked at his son and rolled his eyes. "Getting ready she tells me. You know how it goes."

Michael laughed and shook his head. He was the spitting image of his father; light brown hair, clear blue eyes a handsome young man with a swimmer's physique. He picked up his father's suitcase and carried it out to the waiting taxi. He told the driver is would be a few minutes and the man just smiled.

"Take your time, meter's running."

Michael smirked, again the image of his father, and returned to the house. When he walked in he saw his sister running down the stairs toward their dad. She slammed into her daddy's waiting arms as he squatted down to catch her and swing her up in the air.

"Ella, what is your mommy doing up there?"

"She's putting her clothes on."

Jethro looked over at his oldest child and shook his head. "She was already dressed when I came down ten minutes ago."

"She changed her clothes," Ella announced with a serious face.

Jethro set his daughter down and asked her to go find her little brother. Ella, who had just turned eight the week before started back upstairs in search of her younger brother, Nathan. Ella was the apple of her father's eye. She looked more like her mom than her dad with curly red hair and green eyes. She definitely favored her mom in looks but there was no doubt she was her daddy's daughter. From the moment of her birth she had had him wrapped securely around her little finger and that continued to this day. As he watched her scamper up the stairs Jethro couldn't help but smile. He loved that child but what really got him going was how much she loved him. It was different with a daughter he had decided long ago. His sons loved him he knew, but Ella was different.

"Dad, you guys are going to miss your plane if mom doesn't hurry up."

"The plane doesn't leave until eleven. I told your mother it leaves at ten. We'll be fine."

Michael grinned at his dad. "Way to go dad."

"Years of experience. Listen, you help your grandfather out while he's here. Nathan can run him ragged. And be sure…"

"Dad, I know. It's not like I haven't stayed here with the little ones before. Just go have a good time and don't worry about us. Grandpa and I can handle things. And if we have a problem we'll call Tony or Kate."

"Michael sometimes I forget you're not a little boy anymore. I know you can handle things."

Jethro pulled his son into a hug and Michael returned it. The closeness they had shared when Michael was little continued to this day. They said 'I love you' to each other every day and Michael still looked at his dad as his hero.

"Jenny, please come on. The taxi is costing us more in the driveway than it will to get to the airport."

"Coming."

She wasn't really coming but Nathan was. Down the stairs as fast as he could came the four year old followed by his grandfather. When he reached the bottom step, Nathan stopped and put his hands over his head signaling he wanted his daddy to pick him up. Jethro scooped the little boy into his arms and hugged him tightly. Jackson smiled at them.

"Daddy, fly."

Jethro lifted Nathan over his head and the child spread his arms like wings and his daddy 'flew' him around the room. Nathan laughed and squealed in delight. When Jethro lowered him down to hold him Nathan kissed his daddy on the cheek.

"Nathan, you be a good boy for grandpa while mommy and I are gone."

"Okay, daddy."

Nathan squirmed and Jethro set him down on the floor. Nathan had his mom's reddish hair and his daddy's blue eyes. He was a happy, laid back little boy who loved trucks and puzzles and adored his older brother. Michael in turn thought Nathan was the best little brother in the world. Michael loved Ella as well and was very protective of her. He even had tea parties with her and they rode horses together but Nathan was his special buddy for 'boy things'.

"Jenny, please."

From the master bedroom came the reply, "Michael will you please come get my suitcases?"

Michael looked at his dad, "Suitcases? I thought you were only going to the condo for a week."

"Don't question it, just bring them down. If we have the suitcases down here she won't be far behind."

"I heard that!"

The men laughed and Michael ran up the stairs. Soon he was back and took the suitcases out to the waiting taxi. When he got back Jenny was coming down the stairs.

"Ready?"

Jethro started to comment but just grinned at her and said, "Whenever you are."

"Very funny, Jethro. Let me kiss my children goodbye and then we can go. We have plenty of time. Did you think I wouldn't look at the tickets to make sure I knew when we were leaving? That strategy of yours hasn't worked in years. But I love you for trying anyway."

Michael couldn't help laughing at his dad's stricken look. Jack just smiled and shook his head.

"Jenny, you two have a good time and don't worry about things here. Michael and I will manage just fine."

"I know you will. Thanks for being here, Jack."

Jenny kissed her father-in-law goodbye.

Ella and Nathan had been corralled by their father to tell Jenny goodbye. She kissed each of them and reminded them to be good.

"I'll see you in a week. Daddy and I love you and we'll be back."

"Bye mommy. Love you." Ella kissed her mom and dad and Nathan did the same.

"Have fun mom and make dad relax, okay?"

"I will Michael. Call us if you hear from any of your colleges. I love you."

"Jen, we have to go. Bye everyone. See you in a week."

Jethro took his wife by the hand and propelled her out the front door and into the taxi. Just over two hours later they settled into their seats in the first class section of the plane for the relatively short flight to Florida. As soon as she was allowed to Jenny put her seat back and snuggled into her husband's side. With his arm around her she laid her head on his shoulder and was asleep in minutes. She had been working much too hard lately and Jethro was glad they were finally on their way south.

As Jenny slept Jethro closed his eyes and let his mind wander back over the past ten years. He thought about the night he and Michael had proposed to Jenny. Obviously she had said yes and from that day on they had been wonderfully happy and had never looked back. That was on Jethro's birthday in November and they were married the following January. Jenny's parents were deceased and she had no siblings so they had a small, private ceremony and then a big reception and party for friends and colleagues from the hospital, the neighborhood and NCIS.

Jethro ran his fingers lightly through Jenny's hair and thought about their first few years together. Jenny had initially been worried about how she would manage being a wife and mother for the first time but she never faltered and seemed to naturally know how to care for Michael and for him as well. Jethro even though he had been married twice before had never been happier than he was with Jenny in his life. She seemed to fill in gaps he didn't know he had; she completed him in a way he hadn't known he needed. Jenny was his soul mate; she knew him inside and out and had never failed to understand or comfort or confront him when he needed it.

When it came to Michael, Jenny was the best mother Jethro could have asked for. Before they were married she had told Jethro she wanted to adopt Michael. He was very pleased with her desire and Michael thought it was a great idea even though he didn't understand why they had to get someone else to say Jenny could be his mom. He had already decided she was his mom but if a judge had to say it was okay, he guessed he'd go along. They had actually arranged to have the adoption and marriage done by the same judge so in essence Jenny had 'married' both of them that day just as Michael had asked her to do the night of his daddy's birthday.

Two years after they were married Ella was born and Jethro was thrilled to have another daughter. The death of his first child still haunted him at times but he didn't let that affect how he related to Ella. She was now the age Kelly had been when she was killed so the past few weeks had been difficult for him emotionally but as always, Jenny was there for him and he weathered the storm without too much pain. Ella was a joy to her parents; she was a happy child, always ready to sing and dance and she adored Michael. She was all girl and when she looked at her father and smiled her mother's smile he was a goner. Secretly Jethro feared her teenage years.

Jenny continued to be in charge of the pediatric surgery center at Washington Trauma. She had had a couple of papers published and was often called on to consult with difficult cases at other hospitals. Jethro was very proud of her accomplishments but worried that she worked too hard. Of course she could say the same about him. His team worked only the most difficult or high profile cases which meant Jethro sometimes was gone for days at a time. He had managed to stay out of the hospital during their marriage but had of course, made several trips to the ER.

When Ella was four and Michael thirteen, Nathan arrived in the family with much fanfare. He was an unexpected surprise from the very beginning so when he was born six weeks early his parents weren't exactly shocked. He was tiny but healthy and after a couple of weeks in the NICU he came home and has been going full steam ahead ever since. Jethro and Jenny were thrilled to have another child even if he hadn't been planned. Nathan was a very busy little boy who had about a million Legos and trucks of every kind in every room of the house. He was a whiz at puzzles and loved to play ball with his big brother.

The only sadness in the family came when Michael's beloved Maggie died when Michael was nine. The following year another Maggie was found sleeping under the Christmas tree. Michael had carried her to bed with him that night and she had slept there every night since then.

As the flight attendant came through the cabin for the last time before the plane landed Jethro gently shook Jenny awake.

"Are we there already?"

"Yep. You slept the whole way. Again."

"Did you sleep?"

"No. I've been watching a movie."

Jenny looked around. There was not movie screen and Jethro couldn't watch a movie on the laptop to save his life.

"What movie?" she asked him.

"In my head. A movie of our last ten years. I've just been thinking back on our life. Thinking about how lucky I am. I love you Jen."

Jenny kissed him. "I love you back. We've both been lucky. But, we work at it so it's not all luck."

"True."

Much later that night, Jethro and Jenny were relaxing in the hot tub on the patio of their condo in Sanibel Island, Florida. The sky was clear and full of stars they couldn't see back home in DC. The weather was perfect and the sound of the gulf drifted over them on the cool breeze. Jenny was leaning back against her husband's chest and he was running his hands up and down her arms.

"Happy Anniversary, Jen. I love you."

"And I love you. Can you believe it's been ten years? Seems like just yesterday that Michael proposed to me."

"Can you believe he's off to college in a year? And Ella is in the third grade already. And Nate can swim!"

"As you said on the plane, we've been lucky and I'd add very blessed when it comes to our children."

"Yes. I got lucky when Annie backed over Michael all those years ago. It was a happy accident if there ever was one."

Jenny turned around to face Jethro. She still loved looking at her husband. Even after ten years of marriage she thought he was the most handsome, sexiest man she had ever seen. He was still in great shape and the few extra lines he had just made him look even better to her. She reached for his hands and looked him in the eyes. Those blue eyes were just as mesmerizing as ever and she found herself lost in them every time she looked at her handsome husband.

"Jethro, I love you more today than I did the day I married you. I wouldn't have believed that possible at the time but it's true. You have never disappointed me or let me down in all our time together. You are the best father I could imagine and you make me happy every single day. I cannot imagine my life without you. Thank you for loving me and being the husband and father you are."

When she stopped talking she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until he couldn't breathe. When she finally backed off Jethro took her face in his hands and kissed her over and over again until they were both out of breath.

"Jen, I love you with everything I have; my heart and my soul. You have given me the family I always wanted and you are the best mother I could want for our children. I never imagined being this happy until you came into my life and I finally found the courage to love you. I don't know what Michael and I would have done without you all those years ago. When I come home to you and our kids I feel like the luckiest man alive. I want you as much now as I ever have. You are beautiful, and sexy and so damned good to me I can't believe how blessed I am to be married to you."

For the next week Jethro and Jenny did nothing except just what they wanted to do. There were no cases to solve and no sick children to operate on. They walked on the beach and sat in the sand for hours talking and enjoying one another's company. The ten years they had been married had not diminished their desire for one another and they thoroughly indulged that desire every single day. They stayed up late making love and slept late in the mornings and then did it again the next day. They ate in all their favorite restaurants and soaked in the hot tub every night.

They had first come to Sanibel Island on their honeymoon and fell in love with the beautiful beaches and wonderful weather. Just before Ella was born Jethro surprised Jenny with the keys to their own condo and they now visited at least three times a year. Most of the time they brought the children but sometimes when they really needed to recharge they came alone and of course this trip was strictly adults only. When they weren't using the condo it was rented only to families of vets recently returned from deployments to the war. The management company was run by a friend of Jethro's from the Marine Corps and when he found out Jethro was looking for a condo to buy they came up with this arrangement. The families got a significantly discounted rental rate and Jethro didn't worry about the clientele that was living in his condo.

When their phone rang Wednesday afternoon it was the first contact they had had with their children since they'd left. They were sitting on the patio reading and napping when Michael called. Jethro had to rummage around to find his phone.

"Michael, everything alright?"

"Yeah, dad everything's fine. Can you put this on speaker? Is mom there?"

Jethro handed Jen the phone and told her, "It's Michael. He says put it on speaker."

Jenny took the phone and punched the speaker button. "Hi, Michael. How's everyone doing?"

"We're all fine. Listen you guys I've got some news. You ready?"

Jen and Jethro looked at each other and grinned. Michael had applied to several colleges and was being recruited by some very good schools to swim for them. He had also applied to the Naval Academy. They had all been anxiously awaiting news from any of the schools Michael had chosen.

"We're ready. Go ahead."

"I got accepted at Annapolis, dad. I got a letter today and then someone called me. Can you believe it? I got in. I thought I had no chance. I can't believe this. It's great isn't it? Mom, whatta ya think? I got in!"

"Oh my god, Michael that's great. Your dad is sitting here smiling like I've never seen him. We are thrilled for you. I knew you could do it."

"Say something dad."

Jethro couldn't talk because he was overcome with emotion. Finally he took enough deep breaths to be able to speak.

"Michael I'm so proud of you I can hardly tell you. If they hadn't taken you it would have been their great loss. I wish I was there to let you see how excited and happy I am for you."

"Thanks you guys. Are you having fun and relaxing?"

"Yes, we're having a wonderful time and doing nothing but relaxing. We'll celebrate properly with you when we get home. Way to go, Michael. I love you."

"Love you too dad. And you too mom. Enjoy the rest of the week and we'll see you on Saturday."

"Bye Michael, love you."

Jenny hung up the phone and hugged Jethro. Even though she wasn't Michael's birth mother she loved him as her own child. She had wondered when she had her own children if there would be a difference in her feelings for them versus her feelings for Michael. There was not.

"Can you believe it?" Jethro was still smiling and his eyes were wet with the unshed tears of a proud father.

"Of course he got in! He is an excellent student and athlete and like you said, it would have been their loss if they didn't take him. How do you feel about him being in the Navy?"

"That's fine with me but he'll still go into the Marines I bet. He hasn't wavered from that plan since he was five years old."

"Probably right. Shall we celebrate tonight, just the two of us?"

"Hell yes."

Jethro pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Then he pulled back just enough to be able to look her in her eyes. He brushed her hair back and framed her beautiful face in his big hands.

"You know Jen, when I think about it, every day and every night with you I feel like I'm celebrating. Not just the sex, which of course I love and want all the time as you know, but just being with you, alone, quiet and close is like a special gift every single time. Coming home to you, waking up with you, just living our lives together, it's a celebration and a gift as far as I'm concerned. That's how much I love you."

"Wow Jethro, that might be the most romantic, sweetest thing you've ever said to me. I don't know what to say except I love you and you are absolutely everything to me. I still get excited every time I see you. Watching you with our children, seeing what a wonderful father you are and what a good man you are, I thank God for you every single day."

Later that night Jenny stood beside their bed and dropped her robe on the chair. She reached down and took Jethro's book away from him and dropped it on the floor. Then she slowly pulled her barely there negligee off and dropped it on the book. When he smiled and reached for her she remembered the vow she had made to herself the night he and Michael had proposed. Jethro had that same joyous smile on his face now that he had had that night. Moving into his embrace, she smiled back at him secure in the knowledge she still had the power to make her husband a very happy man.

END


End file.
